The Giant Eye to the Sky: The Extremely Large Telescope

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has announced that their behemoth of a project, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), is now halfway to completion.

A Telescope of Epic Proportions
The plans to construct this mammoth telescope, destined to be the world’s largest for optical and infrared astronomy, began taking shape in 2005. By 2010, it was decided that the telescope would be built atop Cerro Armazones in Chile’s Atacama desert. The construction of the telescope, which will boast a primary mirror with a diameter of 39.3 meters and a secondary mirror with a diameter of 4.2 meters, kicked off in 2014.

The Race to Completion

ESO reports that the remaining 50% of the ELT construction will proceed at a faster pace than the first half. They hope to conduct their first observations with the ELT around 2028, aiming to answer questions like: Are we alone in the universe? Are the laws of physics universal? How were the first stars and galaxies formed?

A New Perspective on the Universe

In a press release, ESO states that the telescope will dramatically alter our understanding of the universe and our place within it. Below is a timelapse of the ELT’s construction thus far.

The Art Conclusion

So, there you have it. The telescope so big, it had to be named "Extremely Large". It’s halfway there and when it’s done, it’s going to give us a peek into the universe like never before. Who knows, maybe we’ll finally find out if we’re the only ones in this cosmic party or if we’ve got some distant neighbours.

Now, here’s a little rhyme to wrap things up…

In the desert of Chile, under the night’s veil,
Stands a telescope that’s off the scale.
Halfway done, but aiming high,
Soon, it’ll be the largest eye on the sky.

Source: Feber