World's largest telescope continues taking shape on Chilean mountain (photos) [View all]

By Samantha Mathewson published 14 hours ago

"Notice the cranes and vehicles at the bottom, which show off just how enormous the ELT is!"



A giant domed building under construction on the top of a desert mountain.
Protective cladding being installed on the sides of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) dome. (Image credit: ESO)


The dome enclosing the world's largest telescope is taking shape, with the installation of protective siding and supports for the primary mirror.

The European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is currently under construction on the Cerro Armazones mountain in Chile's Atacama Desert and is expected to see its first light by 2028.

Recent progress photos from the construction site taken in June 2024 show cladding being installed on the outside of the ELT dome. This layer of material serves as a thermal insulation barrier and provides weather resistance to help protect the telescope from the extreme environment of the Chilean desert.

Part of the dome will have large sliding doors, which will remain closed during the day and open at night, allowing the telescope to survey the sky. Once complete, the telescope will hunt for Earth-like exoplanets in search of signs of life outside of our own solar system and probe the early universe to study the first galaxies that formed after the Big Bang, among other tasks.

More:
https://www.space.com/worlds-largest-telescope-elt-construction-photos-june-2024



This is where they're headed with this project. Please click the tiny URL below for images of the work going on there on the mountain top:

https://tinyurl.com/j7pse7vf