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The Very Large Telescope is an observatory array at Paranal with four $8.2$-metre Unit Telescopes and four movable $1.8$-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]

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.