🇨🇱 Construction of the world's largest telescope is underway
Chile is home to the ELT project, the largest terrestrial telescope, which promises to explore black holes and the first galaxies
The Atacama Desert is revealed as the ideal setting for the construction of the Extremely Large Telescope (ESO)
The Atacama Desert is revealed as the ideal setting for the construction of the Extremely Large Telescope (ESO)
In the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, an ambitious project is underway that could revolutionize astronomy: the construction of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). This colossal instrument, known as “the world's largest eye on the sky,” is part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), an organization that includes 16 European countries among its members, as well as Australia as a strategic partner and Chile as a host country. The ELT aims to explore the mysteries of the universe, and operations are expected to begin in 2028.
The ELT will be equipped with a primary mirror 39 metres in diameter, making it the largest ground-based telescope in the world in visible and infrared light. Astronomer and ESO representative in Chile, Dr. Luis Chavarría, says that the ELT's operations could represent a paradigm shift in our perception of the universe, comparing this achievement to that of Galileo 400 years ago. “It will take us beyond what we have ever seen before” he said
