Sees the light in 2027
The largest telescope in the world .. "eye" superimposed on the sky
ELT construction began in 2017. Archival
The firsts of the Large Ultra Telescope (ELT) are slowly beginning to appear in northern Chile, which is considered one of the best places to observe stars. This optical instrument, which will see the light of day in five years, is the most powerful yet, and aims to expand the capabilities of astronomers to observe.
The telescope will constitute a new “eye” in the sky that will be added, starting from 2027, to the set of observational instruments with great capabilities that are already operating in the Atacama Desert, and will allow scientists to increase the ability to observe by 5,000 times than it is currently, in addition to focusing on places that are still unknown today. It is known with the aim of providing answers to still outstanding questions about the origin of the universe.
"There are scientific questions that we want to find answers to, and these questions dictate the need for technology to help us find these answers," said Chilean astronomer Luis Chavarria of the European Southern Observatory, which finances the construction of the ELT telescope.
"The development of astronomy is linked to what technology and observational capabilities provide, and all that these wonderful tools make possible," he added.
Current observing instruments can provide answers to the questions astronomers were asking three decades ago, but in order to expand the horizons of knowledge, more effective instruments have been built, such as the ELT telescope, which will be installed above Cerro Armazonis at an altitude of 3000 meters.
The ELT, whose construction began in 2017, will consist of a main mirror with a diameter of 39 meters, consisting of 798 small hexagonal mirrors.
It will be installed on a huge hemispherical dome with a diameter of 85 meters and a height of 74 meters.
On the sides there will be two doors in the shape of a circle that will allow for night observations.
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