ESO Glossary of Acronyms
The present list contains the most common acronyms used by ESO, but does not pretend to be complete.
4LGSF | Four-Laser Guide Star Facility |
4MOST | 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (Proposed new spectroscopic instrument for VISTA) |
4T | Four Telescope (VLTI mode) |
A&A | Journal, Astronomy & Astrophysics |
A&ARv | Journal, Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics |
ACD | Amplitude Calibration Device (ALMA) |
ADS | International Italian optics company working on the DSM for the VLT |
AEM | ALMA construction consortium |
AFTA | Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets |
AG | Aktiengesellschaft |
AGN | Active Galactic Nucleus |
AIDA | Astronomical Infrastructure for Data Access |
AIP | Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam |
AIV | Assembly, Integration and Verification |
AJ | The Astronomical Journal |
ALMA | Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array |
AMBER | Astronomical Multi-BEam combineR (VLTI Instrument) |
AN | Journal, Astronomische Nachrichten |
Antu | VLT Unit Telescope 1 |
AO | Adaptive Optics |
AOF | Adaptive Optics Facility |
AOS | Array Operations Site (ALMA) |
APEX | Atacama Pathfinder Experiment |
ApJ | Astrophysical Journal |
ApJS | Journal, Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series |
AQUARIUS | Mid-infrared detector array (VISIR) |
ARAL | Alignment facility for the VLTI |
ARC | ALMA Regional Centre |
ArTeMiS | Bolometric camera for APEX |
ASIAA | East Asia FEIC (ALMA) |
ASIC | Application Specific Integrated Circuit |
ASSIST | Adaptive Secondary Setup and Instrument Simulator (AOF test bench) |
AstraLux | Lucky Imaging camera for the Calar Alto 2.2-metre telescope |
AT | Auxiliary Telescope for the VLTI |
ATC | Astronomy Technology Centre (United Kingdom) |
ATILO | Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organisation |
AU | Astronomical Unit |
AVM | Astronomical Visualisation Metadata |
BAM | Construction company for the Headquarters extension |
BE | Back-End (ALMA) |
BLIP | Background photon noise limited |
C2PAP | Computational Center for Particle and Astrophysics, Universe Cluster, Garching |
CADC | Canadian Astronomy Data Centre |
CAPj | Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal |
CARLA | Clusters Around Radio-Loud AGN (Spitzer) |
CASA | Common Astronomy Software Applications (ALMA) |
CCD | Charge Coupled Device |
CDR | Critical Design Review |
CEA | Commissariat à L’Energie Atomique, France |
CELAC_EU | Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States–European Union |
CERN | European Organization for Nuclear Research |
CES | Coude Echelle Spectrometer |
CHAMP+ | Dual channel heterodyne receiver array (APEX) |
CHF | Swiss francs |
CLIF | Convolution with Linearized Inverse Filter algorithm for wavefront sensing |
CMB | Cosmic Microwave Background |
CMOS | Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor |
CNAM | Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers |
CNRS | Centre national de la recherche scientifique |
CO | Carbon monoxide |
COFUND | EU fellowship funding programme |
CONDOR | 1.5 THz heterodyne receiver (APEX) |
CONICA | COudé Near-Infrared CAmera (VLT) |
CORALIE | Echelle Spectrograph on the 1.2-metre Leonard Euler Swiss telescope |
CoRoT | COnvection ROtation and planetary Transits (French Satellite) |
COSMOS | HST survey programme |
CP | Calibration Programme |
CRIRES | Cryogenic InfraRed Echelle Spectrometer (VLT) |
CRIRES+ | Planned upgrade to CRIRES |
CSV | Commissioning and Science Verification |
CUBES | Cassegrain U-band Brazilian ESO Spectrograph |
CuRe | Fast wavefront reconstruction algorithms for XAO with pyramid WFS |
CuReD | Fast wavefront reconstruction algorithms for XAO with pyramid WFS with pre-processing |
DC | Direct Current |
DDS | Data DistributIOn middleware for SPARTA |
DDT | Director’s Discretionary Time |
DG | Director General |
DIG | Deep Imaging Group (Vitacura) |
DL | Delay Line (VLTI) |
DMO | Data Management and Operations Division |
DRS | DRS, formerly Boeing, detector manufacturer |
DSM | Deformable Secondary Mirror |
DSO | Department of Science Operations (ALMA) |
EASC | European ALMA Support Centre |
EC | European Commission |
ECRI | European Conference on Research Infrastructures |
EFOSC2 | ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera (v.2) |
EIROforum | Organisation consisting of the seven largest scientific European international organisations devoted to fostering mutual activities |
ELT | Extremely Large Telescope |
EM&P | Journal, Earth, Moon, and Planets |
EMBL | European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Germany) |
EMMI | ESO Multi-Mode Instrument (NTT) |
ePOD | education and Public Outreach Department |
ERIS | Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph |
ERP | Enterprise Resource Planning (Administration software) |
ESA | European Space Agency |
ESAC | European Space Astronomy Centre (ESA, Spain) |
ESAC | European Science Advisory Committee (for ALMA) |
ESC | ELT Subcommittee |
ESE | ELT Science and Engineering |
ESM | European School Munich |
ESO | European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere |
ESOF | Euroscience Open Forum |
ESON | ESO Science Outreach Network |
ESPRESSO | Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanet- and Stable Spectroscopic Observations |
ESRC | ELT Standing Review Committee |
ETH | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology |
EU | European Union |
EVALSO | Enabling Virtual Access to Latin-american Southern Observatories |
EWASS | European Week of Astronomy and Space Science |
ExA | Journal, Experimental Astronomy |
FC | Finance Committee |
FE | Front End |
FE IPT | Front-End Integrated Project Team (ALMA) |
FEA | Finite Element Analysis |
FEED | Front-End Engineering Design (ELT) |
FEIC | Front End Integration Centre (ALMA) |
FEROS | Fibre-fed, Extended Range, Échelle Spectrograph (MPG/ESO 2.2-metre) |
FITS | Flexible Image Transport System |
FLAMES | Fibre Large Array Multi Element Spectrograph (VLT) |
FORS1 | FOcal Reducer/low dispersion Spectrograph (VLT)-1 |
FORS2 | FOcal Reducer/low dispersion Spectrograph (VLT)-2 |
FOS | Faint Object Spectrograph (HST) |
FP | Fabry-Perot |
FP6 | Sixth EC Framework Programme |
FP7 | Seventh EC Framework Programme |
FTE | Full Time Equivalent |
FWHM | Full Width at Half Maximum |
GALACSI | Ground Atmospheric Layer Adaptive Optics for Spectroscopic Imaging (AOF) |
GB | Gigabyte |
GÉANT | European multi-gigabit computer network for research and education purposes |
GHz | Gigahertz |
GIRAFFE | Fibre-fed multi-object spectrograph and part of the VLT FLAMES facility |
GLAO | Ground Layer Adaptive Optics |
gNLT | Garching Night Log Tool |
GRAAL | GRound-layer Adaptive optics Assisted by Lasers (AOF) |
GRAVITY | AO assisted, two-object, multiple-beam-combiner (VLTI) |
GROND | Gamma-Ray Burst Optical/Near-Infrared Detector (MPG/ESO 2.2-metre) |
GTC | Gran Telescopio Canarias |
GUI | Graphical User Interface |
GWh | Gigawatt hours |
HARMONI | Proposed first light integral field spectrograph for the ELT |
HARPS | High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planetary Searcher (3.6-metre) |
HAWK-I | High Acuity Wide field K-band Imager |
HCI | Human Computer Interface |
HIA | Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (Canada) |
HR | Human Resources |
HST | Hubble Space Telescope |
HST | Hubble Space Telescope |
HVAC | Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning |
IAG | Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (Brazil) |
IAU | International Astronomical Union |
Icar | Icarus, Planetary science journal, Planetary science journal |
IFS | Integral Field Spectrograph (SPHERE, ELT) |
IFU | Integral Field Unit |
INAF | Italian National Institute for Astrophysics |
INRIA | Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique |
IPAG | Institut de Planetologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble |
IPP | Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (Germany) |
IPSAS | International Public Sector Accounting Standards |
IPT | Integrated Product Team (ALMA) |
IR | Infrared |
IRAM | Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique |
IRDIS | InfraRed Dual-beam Imager and Spectrograph (SPHERE, ELT) |
IRIS | VLTI Infrared Image Sensor |
IRO | International Relations Office |
ISAAC | Infrared Spectrometer And Array Camera (VLT) |
ISERD | Israeli inter-ministerial agency for R&D cooperation with Europe |
IT | Information Technology |
ITAR | International Traffic in Arms Regulations |
ITER | International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor |
IVOA | International Virtual Observatory Alliance |
IVSLA | Istituto Veneto di Scienze ed Arti |
IYA2009 | International Year of Astronomy 2009 |
JAO | Joint ALMA Observatory |
JENAM | Joint European and National Astronomy Meeting |
JPL | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
JWST | James Webb Space Telescope |
KMOS | K-band Multi-Object Spectrograph (VLT) |
Kueyan | VLT Unit Telescope 2 |
LABOCA | Large APEX Bolometer CAmera |
LAOG | Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de l'Observatoire de Grenoble |
LFC | Laser Frequency Comb |
LGS | Laser Guide Star |
LGSF | Laser Guide Star Facility |
LMC | Large Magellanic Cloud |
LMU | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München |
LOFAR | Low Frequency Array |
LP | Large Programme |
LPG | Liquefied Petroleum Gas |
LPO | La Silla Paranal Observatory |
LSP | La Silla Paranal Subcommittee |
LTAO | Laser Tomography Adaptive Optics |
M# | Mirror # |
MACAO | Multiple Application Curvature Adaptive Optic |
MACCON | Motion controller manufacturer |
MAD | Multi-conjugate Adaptive optics Demonstrator |
mas | milliarcseconds |
MASCOT | Mini All-Sky Cloud Observation Tool (Paranal) |
MATISSE | Multi AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment (VLTI) |
MCAO | Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics |
Melipal | VLT Unit Telescope 3 |
MENLO systems | Optical equipment manufacturer |
MERAC | Mobilising European Research in Astrophysics and Cosmology |
MERIL | Mapping the European Research Infrastructure Landscape |
MICADO | Adaptive optics imaging camera (ELT) |
MIDI | Mid-infrared Interferometric Instrument (VLTI) |
MIM | Museo Interactivo Mirador, Santiago |
MIT | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Mn | Mirror #n |
MNRAS | Journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
MOAO | Multiple-Object Adaptive Optics |
MOONS | Multi Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph (VLT third generation) |
MOSFIRE | Near-infrared multi-object spectrograph (Keck) |
MPA | Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics |
MPE | Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics |
MPE | Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (Germany) |
MPG | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft |
MPIA | Max Planck Institute for Astronomy |
MPIfR | Max-Planck Institute for Radioastronomy (Germany) |
MUSE | Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (VLT) |
NACO | NAOS-CONICA (VLT) |
NAOJ | National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
NAOMI | Adaptive optics system for the ATs (VLTI) |
NAOS | Nasmyth Adaptive Optics System (VLT) |
NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
NEO | Near-Earth Object |
NewA | Journal, New Astronomy |
NewAR | Journal, New Astronomy Reviews |
NGC | New General Catalogue |
NGC | New General detector Controller |
NGSD | Proposed large natural/laser guide star WFS detector (ELT) |
NOVA | The Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (Nederlandse Onderzoekschool voor Astronomie) |
NRAO | National Radio Astronomy Observatory |
NTT | New Technology Telescope |
NUVA | Network for UltraViolet Astrophysics |
OAA | Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory |
OBAMA | Optical Bidule for Aberration Measurement on the ATs |
OCA-NICE | Cote d’Azur Observatory (Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur) |
OmegaCAM | Optical Camera for the VST |
OPC | Observing Programmes Committee |
OPO | Observing Programmes Office |
OPTICON | Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy |
OSF | ALMA Operations Support Facilities |
OSF | ALMA Operations Support Facilities |
OSO | Onsala Space Observatory |
OT | Observing Tool |
OTS | Operations Technical Support |
P&SS | Journal, Planetary and Space Science |
P2PP | Peer to Peer Protocol |
P86 | Observing Period 86 |
P87 | Observing Period 87 |
PACMAN | Fringe tracker for PRIMA (VLTI) |
PAE | Provisional Acceptance Europe |
PARLA | PAranal Raman Laser, replacement for PARSEC (VLTI) |
PARSEC | Sodium line laser for VLT AO |
PASJ | Journal, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan |
PASP | Journal, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific |
PB | Petabyte |
PC | Personal Computer |
Portable Document Format | |
PDR | Preliminary Design Review |
PESSTO | Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey of Transient Objects |
PI | Principal Investigator |
PIONIER | VLTI visitor instrument |
PLC | Programmable Logic Controllers (ELT) |
PRIMA | Phase-Referenced Imaging and Micro-arcsecond Astrometry facility (VLTI) |
PSF | Point Spread Function |
QSO | Quasi Stellar Object, quasar |
QUEST | QUasar Equatorial Survey Team |
R&D | Research and Development |
RAB | Reflector Assembly Building |
RAL | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (UK) |
RedCLARA | Latin American Advanced Networks Cooperation (Academic data network in Latin America) |
REM | Rapid Eye Movement Telescope (La Silla) |
REUNA | Red Universitaria Nacional (Academic data network in Chile) |
RM | Rossiter-McClaughlin (effect) |
RMN | Reflective Memory Network (VLTI) |
rms | Root Mean Square |
SABOCA | Shortwave Apex BOlometer Camera |
SAC | EURO-VO Science Advisory Committee |
SAF | Science Archive Facility |
SAFRAN-REOSC | High performance optics company |
SAPHIRA | Detector for the GRAVITY wavefront sensor |
SAXO | SPHERE’S AO system (VLT) |
SCAO | Single-conjugate adaptive optics |
SCO | Santiago Central Office (ALMA/ESO Vitacura) |
SDD | Software Development Division |
SDSS | Sloan Digital Sky Survey |
SE | System Engineering (ALMA) |
SEO | Search Engine Operations |
SEPA | Single Euro Payments Area |
SHFI | Swedish Heterodyne Facility Instrument |
SINFONI | Spectrograph for INtegral Field Observations in the Near Infrared (VLT) |
SKA | Square Kilometer Array |
SM4 | Servicing Mission 4 (HST) |
SOFI | SOn oF Isaac (NTT) |
SOPHIE | Spectrographe pour l’Observation des Phénomènes des Intérieurs stellaires et des Exoplanètes |
SPARTA | Real-time computer for the AOF |
SPHERE | Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research instrument (VLT) |
SPIFFI | SPectrometer for Infrared Faint Field Imaging |
SPT | South Pole Telescope |
SSED | Software System Engineering Department |
SSWG | Science Strategy Working Group |
ST-ECF | Space Telescope European Coordination Facility |
STC | Scientific Technical Committee |
STFC | Science and Technology Facilities Council (UK) |
STRAP | Tip-tilt sensors (VLTI) |
STScI | Space Telescope Science Institute (USA) |
sub-mm | submillimetre |
SUSI2 | Superb Seeing Imager 2 (NTT) |
TAROT | Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires |
TAROT-S | Télescopes à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires South |
TB | Terabyte |
TEC | Technology Division |
telbib | ESO library telescope bibliography database |
TFB | Tunable Filter Bank (ALMA) |
TIMMI | TIMMI far-infrared camera (ESO 3.6-metre telescope) |
ToO | Target of Opportunity |
TRAPPIST | TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope |
TRR | Test Readiness Review |
TUM | Technische Universität München |
UC | Users Committee |
UK | United Kingdom |
UK ATC | UK Astronomy Technology Centre |
Ultracam | High-speed camera (VLT) |
UltraVISTA | Ultra-deep near-infrared survey in the COSMOS field |
UN | United Nations |
UNCOPUOS | United Nations Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space |
UNESCO | United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization |
USD | User Support Department |
USM | University Observatory Munich |
UT | Unit Telescope of the VLT |
UT1–4 | VLT Unit Telescopes 1–4: Antu, Kueyen, Melipal and Yepun |
UV | UltraViolet |
UVES | UV-Visual Echelle Spectrograph (VLT) |
VHS | VISTA Hemisphere Survey |
VIDEO | VISTA Deep Extragalactic Observations Survey |
VIKING | VISTA Kilo-degree Infrared Galaxy survey |
VIMOS | VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph (VLT) |
VINCI | VLT INterferometer Commissioning Instrument (VLTI) |
VIP | Very Important Person |
VIPERS | VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey |
VIRCAM | VISTA Infrared Camera |
VISA | VLTI Sub-Array |
VISIR | VLT Mid-Infrared Imager Spectrometer |
VISTA | Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy |
VLT | Very Large Telescope |
VLTI | Very Large Telescope Interferometer |
VLTI-PR# | VLTI projects |
VMC | VISTA survey of the Magellanic Cloud system |
VO | Virtual Observatory |
VOP | Virtual Observatory Project Office |
VSS | Variability Sky Survey |
VST | VLT Survey Telescope |
VVDS | VIMOS VLT Deep Survey |
VVV | ESO public survey VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea |
WASP | Wide Angle Search for Planets survey |
WFCAM | Infrared wide field camera for the UK Infrared Telescope on Mauna Kea |
WFI | Wide Field Imager (MPG/ESO 2.2-metre) |
WVR | Water Vapour Radiometer (ALMA) |
X-shooter | Wideband ultraviolet-infrared single target spectrograph (VLT) |
XAO | Extreme adaptive optics |
XMM-Newton | X-ray Multi-Mirror satellite (ESA) |
Yepun | VLT Unit Telescope 4 |
Z-Spec | Millimetre-wave spectrograph (APEX visitor instrument) |
zCOSMOS | Large Programme to measure 30 000 galaxies in the HST Cosmic Origins field |
ZIMPOL | Zurich Imaging Polarimeter (SPHERE, ELT) |
μm | Micrometre |
ΛCDM | Lambda Cold Dark Matter |