4.11.2025
On October 18, 2025, the 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) at ESO’s VISTA telescope in Chile achieved its long-awaited First Light, marking the start of a new era for large-scale sky surveys. Developed by an international consortium led by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), the project includes major contributions from the Landessternwarte Heidelberg (ZAH/Heidelberg University).
The Heidelberg team, led by Prof. Dr. Andreas Quirrenbach, Prof. Dr. Norbert Christlieb, Dr. Walter Seifert and Dr. Florian Rothmaier, was responsible for designing and building the High-Resolution Spectrograph (HRS) and the instrument control software. With its ability to observe 2,400 celestial objects simultaneously, 4MOST will provide unprecedented insights into the structure and chemistry of our Galaxy and beyond.
Once fully operational, 4MOST will explore the formation and evolution of stars and planets, the Milky Way and other galaxies, black holes and other exotic objects – and the Universe as a whole. [Read more]
4MOST Consortium
