Installing the Central Tower of the Extremely Large Telescope | ESO

Installing the Central Tower of the Extremely Large Telescope | ESO

The central tower that will hold several of the world’s most sophisticated mirrors is now installed on the European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). The tower is 3 storeys tall and has to be as rigid and lightweight as possible—a true feat of engineering. The tower will hold 3 of the ELT's 5 mirrors; they will correct the blur caused by atmospheric turbulence and relay the light to the scientific instruments by the side of the telescope.

Altitude: 3046 meters
Planned year of technical first light: 2027

Learn more about ESO’s ELT at: 

https://elt.eso.org/ 

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Directing & Editing by: Angelos Tsaousis
Web and technical support: Gurvan Bazin and Raquel Yumi Shida
Written by: Bárbara Ferreira
Footage and photos: ESO, L. Calçada, Jose Porte, Fernando Carrasco, Paulo Ferreira, Apical
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Dec. 20, 2024

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