SPHERE: A 'Planet Finder' Instrument for the VLT

International audienceDirect detection and spectral characterisation of extrasolar planets is one of the most exciting but also one of the most challenging areas in modern astronomy. For its second-generation instrumentation on the VLT, ESO has supported two phase A studies for a so-called ‘Planet Finder' dedicated instrument. Based on the results of these two studies, a unique instrument, SPHERE, is now considered for first light in 2010, including a powerful extreme adaptive optics system (SAXO), various coronagraphs, an infrared differential imaging camera (IRDIS), an infrared integral field spectrograph (IFS) and a visible differential polarimeter (ZIMPOL)