The Very Large Telescope (VLT) is an astronomical facility operated by the European Southern Observatory, located on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. It consists of four individual optical telescopes, each equipped with a primary mirror measuring 8.2 metres (27 feet) in diameter, which are generally used separately but can be combined to achieve a very high angular resolution. The VLT array is complemented by four movable auxiliary telescopes with 1.8-metre (5.9-foot) apertures, and the VLT Survey Telescope (at right in the photograph). This photograph, taken at sunset in 2015, shows the VLT and its associated telescopes and supporting buildings.Photograph credit: ESO / Gerhard Hüdepohl; retouched by Huntster
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Today's featured article
Diagram of a prostate tumor pressing on the urethra
Prostate cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate. It is often detected through blood tests for prostate-specific antigen, followed by a biopsy. Most prostate tumors (diagram pictured) cause no health problems, and are managed with surveillance. Dangerous tumors can be surgically removed or destroyed with radiation therapy. Those whose cancer spreads receive hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and eventually chemotherapy. Most tumors are confined to the prostate, and 99% of men survive ten years post-diagnosis. Those whose tumors have metastasized to distant body sites have a poorer prognosis; 30% to 40% are still alive five years after diagnosis. Each year 1.2 million men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 350,000 die of the disease, making it the second-leading cause of cancer in men. Prostate tumors were first described in the mid-19th century. Hormone therapies were developed in the mid-20th century, resulting in Nobel Prizes for their developers Charles Huggins and Andrzej Schally. (Full article...)
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