Dozens of boxes containing mirrors are arranged on a remote desert hill in northern Chile as progress is made on the construction of the Extremely Large Telescope, set to become one of the most advanced astronomical observatories ever built.
The telescope, currently at 60% completion, aims to explore the existence of potential life on exoplanets and delve into the universe's earliest stars and galaxies. Initial scientific observations are slated for late 2028.
This 1.45 billion euros ($1.51 billion) project belongs to the European Southern Observatory, an intergovernmental research organization.
Astrophysicist Itziar de Gregorio, the European Southern Observatory's representative in Chile, explained, It's going to impact practically all areas of astronomy... advance our understanding of other worlds around other stars.
The mirrors will be assembled into a massive mirror roughly 1-1/2 times the size of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. The primary mirror, made of 798 pieces, will be approximately 39.3 meters (130 feet) in diameter.
Nestled in the arid Atacama Desert, renowned for its astronomical conditions, the telescope sits on Armazones Hill, 3,050 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level, around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of Chile's capital.
Expected to hold the title of the world's largest optical-infrared facility for years to come, the telescope is poised to be a groundbreaking addition to astronomical research.
The mirrors are set for installation, states Tobias Muller, overseeing assembly, integration, and verification. He added, The telescope is a highly complex system, comprising multiple mirrors of varying complexity.
(Exchange rate: $1 = 0.9586 euros)