Extremely Large Telescope construction progresses in Chile

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is constructing the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in the Atacama Desert of Chile. Designed to be the largest telescope on Earth, the facility features an 80-meter high dome and a 39-meter wide primary mirror composed of 798 precision-designed segments.

The project represents a massive engineering undertaking involving tens of thousands of tons of steel and concrete. The ESO expects the ELT to begin observing the cosmos by 2030, with the external structure slated for completion in 2027.