Press release
July 11, 2023
The European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is a revolutionary ground-based telescope with a 39-metre primary mirror and will be the world’s largest visible and infrared telescope: the world’s biggest eye in the sky. Construction of this technically complex project is progressing rapidly. The ELT is now over 50% complete.
The telescope is located on Cerro Armazones in Chile’s Atacama Desert, where engineers and craftsmen are currently working at a rapid pace. Telescopic dome structure put together. The steel structure which is visibly changed every daywill soon take on the round shape typical of telescopic domes.
The telescope’s mirrors and other components are being built by companies in Europe, where work is also progressing well. ESO’s ELT will be a revolutionary optical system Five mirror design have, including a huge primary mirror (M1), which consists of 798 hexagonal segments. More than 70% of the blanks and assemblies for these segments have now been manufactured during M2 and M3 have been cast and are currently being polished. Progress at M4an adaptive and flexible mirror that adjusts its shape thousands of times per second to correct distortions caused by air turbulence, are particularly impressive: the six thin wings are fully completed and are being integrated into their structural unit. In addition, the six laser sources, another key element of the adaptive optics system of the ELT, manufactured and delivered to ESO for testing.
All other systems needed to complete the ELT, including the control system and the equipment required for assembly and commissioning of the telescope, are also progressing well in their development or production. In addition, the first four scientific instruments that will equip the ELT are in the final design phase and some are about to start their manufacture. In addition, most of the infrastructure supporting the ELT now exists on or near Cerro Armazones. For example, the technical building, which serves among other things for the storage and coating of the various ELT mirrors, has been fully constructed and furnished, while a photovoltaic system that supplies the ELT site with renewable energy, commissioned last year became.
Construction of ESO’s ELT began nine years ago with an initial Innovative initiated. The summit of Cerro Armazones was flattened in 2014 to make way for the giant telescope.
However, the completion of the remaining 50% of the project is expected to be much faster than the construction of the first half of the ELT. The first half of the project involved a lengthy and detailed process to finalize the design of the vast majority of components to be manufactured for the ELT. In addition, for some elements, such as B. the mirror segments and the components and sensors that support them, detailed prototypes were created and extensive testing was carried out before they could be mass-produced. In addition, construction was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the site to close for several months and delaying the production of many telescope components. With production processes now fully resumed and optimized, the remaining half of the ELT is expected to take only five years. Yet building a telescope as large and complex as the ELT is not without risks until it is complete and operational.
ESO Director General Xavier Barcons said: “The ELT is the largest of the next generation of ground-based optical and near-infrared telescopes and the most advanced in its design. Given the challenges associated with large and complex projects, completing 50% of the work is no small feat. It has only been possible thanks to the commitment of all ESO staff, the continued support of ESO Member States, and the engagement of our partners in industry and instrument consortia. I am very proud that the ELT has reached this milestone.“
ESO’s ELT, which Start scientific observations in 2028 will address astronomical questions such as: Are we alone in the universe? Are the laws of physics universal? How did the first stars and galaxies form? It will radically change our knowledge of our universe and lead us to reconsider our place in the cosmos.
Endnotes
The ELT completion percentage is determined using the “Value earned“Estimated, a project management measure used to assess project progress considering schedule and cost. Currently, the ELT has completed 50% of the project plan.
Further information
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) enables scientists from around the world to unlock the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all. We design, build and operate world-class observatories that astronomers use to answer exciting questions and inspire fascination with astronomy, and we promote international collaboration in astronomy. Founded in 1962 as an intergovernmental organisation, ESO is led by 16 Member States (Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the Host Country Chile and Australia as strategic partners. ESO Headquarters and its Visitor Centre and Planetarium, ESO Supernova, are located near Munich in Germany, while the Atacama Desert in Chile, a wonderland offering unique conditions for observing the skies, is home to our telescopes. ESO operates three observing sites: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At the Paranal site, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its associated Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as survey telescopes such as VUE. Also at Paranal, ESO will operate the Cherenkov Telescope Array South, the world’s largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. In collaboration with international partners, ESO operates APEX and ALMA, two millimetre and submillimetre observing facilities on Chajnantor. On Cerro Armazones, near Paranal, we are building “the world’s largest eye in the sky”: ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope. From our offices in Santiago, Chile, we support our activities in the country and collaborate with Chilean partners and society.
The translations of ESO press releases into English are a service of the ESO Science Outreach Network (ESON), an international astronomy outreach network in which scientists and science communicators from all ESO Member Countries (and some other countries) are represented. It is the German node of the network. House of Astronomy in Heidelberg.
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Contact details
Barbara Ferreira
ESO Media Manager
Garching near Munich, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6670
Mobile: +49 151 241 664 00
E-mail: press@eso.org
Markus Nielbock (press contact Germany)
ESO Science Outreach Network and House of Astronomy
Heidelberg, Germany
Tel: +49 6221 528-134
E-mail: eson-germany@eso.org
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This is a translation of ESO press release eso2310.