The Very Large Telescope is an observatory array at Paranal with four -metre Unit Telescopes and four movable -metre Auxiliary Telescopes. The Unit Telescopes can observe independently; selected beams can also be combined in an astronomical interferometer. Combining beams coherently changes the angular information available and requires an appropriate observing instrument.[ref]
Very Large Telescope overview by European Southern Observatory. Overview: telescope diameters, independent operation, and interferometric combination
For exoplanets, adaptive optics helps concentrate light for exoplanet direct imaging, while instruments such as CRIRES resolve molecular spectral lines. Spatial separation and Doppler shift provide complementary ways to distinguish a faint planet from its host star. The capability belongs to the telescope-plus-instrument combination, rather than to aperture size alone.
CRIRES is a high-resolution infrared spectrograph. Its upgraded form supports molecular spectroscopy of exoplanet atmospheres and measurements based on the Doppler effect. See ESO's instrument overview.
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