Imaging Surveys at the VLT Survey Telescope

The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) is one of the most efficient wide-field optical imagers, significantly contributing to our understanding of the universe. By capturing the night sky with unprecedented precision, VST has provided astronomers with valuable data covering a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, from distant galaxies and galaxy clusters to objects within our own Milky Way.

We are pleased to announce the first data release, OMEGACAM_INAF DR1. The datasets, gathered using high-resolution imaging techniques, spans a wide range of celestial objects, from distant galaxies’ clusters to nearby galaxies and star clusters. The observations have been conducted by using almost all the VST filters, e.g. u,g,r,i,z,H⍺, allowing for precise photometric measurements and detailed color analyses of the captured objects, enhancing the dataset’s utility for researchers exploring various astrophysical phenomena.  It consists of: 

• Reduced single-epoch images

• Co-added images

• Associated data products

The dataset also includes some data collected before the new INAF-ESO agreement (2022-2027, renewable).

⭐New⭐

Following the DR1, we are pleased to announce the publication of OMEGACAM_INAF DR2.
This second release expands the dataset with newly processed observations from additional VST programmes. 

The release is fully consistent with the DR1 format.

Accessing the Data

For instructions on how to download the DR1 and DR2, please visit the official ESO release page:

http://archive.eso.org/cms/eso-archive-news/release-of-vst-omegacam-imaging-products-from-the-collaboration-with-inaf.html

Official ESO Announcements

http://www.eso.org/sci/observing/phase3/news.html#VST_INAF

Future Releases

We plan to release newly reduced data twice a year, adding new survey projects and complementing the existing datasets.

Download the Data Release 1 documentation (PDF)

Download the Data Release 2 documentation (PDF)