European Extremely Large Telescope

posted: 27 May 2016

The European Southern Observatory has issued the largest contract in land based astronomy to build the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) dome and telescope. Preliminary work for the construction started in 2014 by levelling the construction site in Cerro Armazones desert in Chile. The site is located at an altitude of 3,060 metres.

Optical design

The E-ELT is one of the largest astronomical projects ever undertaken. It utilizes a reflecting optical design based on mirrors consisting of five mirrors in total.

The main mirror is 39 metres in diameter and the telescope will be housed in a protective dome nearly 80 metres high. The main mirror is segmented, consisting of 798 individual elements, adding up to a surface of 39 metres across.

The faint light from distant objects will be reflected from the main mirror via the four other mirrors eventually reaching the focus of the telescope where sophisticated scientific instruments will be placed. A suite of world class scientific instruments is already under development. The main mirror is thin and flexible; it sits in the centre of E-ELT's adaptive optics capability.
The E-ELT dome will be 80 metres high.

Adaptive optics

Adaptive optics systems flex and bend the mirror by tiny amounts and great precision to compensate for the blaring effect of Earth's atmosphere. As a result, the images of celestial objects will be 15 times sharper than the Hubble space telescope.

The enormous observation power of the E-ELT will establish it as the most powerful telescope in the world. It will be the biggest and most sophisticated telescope ever built will take us into a new era of observation astronomy.

Its magnificent engineering will support cutting edge scientific research with two unique features that set it apart from other large telescopes. It collects 15 times more light than any other optical telescope in operation today and it can also capture much sharper images.
The E-ELT will reveal new worlds.

Benefits

The E-ELT will allow scientists to study planets around other stars in unprecedented detail, learn how planets form and the conditions on their surfaces.

We may discover a planet similar to Earth or find evidence of life on another world. The distant universe will be revealed in ways never before possible. The new telescope will help scientists to answer important questions on how the universe formed, what the future holds and study the evolution of galaxies from the earliest times.

Other areas of research include some of nature's most violent events such as how black holes accredit their material and become active galactic nebulae.

The E-ELT will help push the boundaries of astronomy, both in engineering and in science.
The condition of far away planets will be revealed.

Source: European Southern Observatory (ESO).


Related topics:  news, European Extremely Large Telescope, E-ELT

Author:  Opticstar

Links
News archive
Posts
2024 (20)
October (2)
November deep sky watch
AutoStar and AudioStar explained
September (2)
October deep sky watch
Meade ACF Optical Tubes
August (2)
September deep sky watch
Meade and Coronado eyepieces
July (2)
August deep sky watch
Image projection explained
June (2)
July deep sky watch
Photography with the Meade ETX90
May (2)
June deep sky watch
Observing the Sun
April (2)
May deep sky watch
Apparent magnitude and its relevance to imaging
March (2)
April deep sky watch
Meade LX65 8" ACF review
February (2)
March deep sky watch
Imaging with a telescope
January (2)
February deep sky watch
Choosing your second telescope
2023 (24)
December (2)
January deep sky watch
Meade LX65 8" ACF SkyNews review
November (2)
December deep sky watch
Aligning your computerised Alt-Az telescope
October (2)
November deep sky watch
Planetary prime focus astrophotography
September (2)
October deep sky watch
Deep sky prime focus astrophotography
August (2)
September deep sky watch
An introduction to the Meade LX65 ACF telescopes
July (2)
August deep sky watch
Wilderness Spotting Scopes
June (2)
July deep sky watch
Visual observation through an astronomical telescope
May (2)
June deep sky watch
How to Setup & Use Your 50mm Guide Scope
April (2)
May deep sky watch
How to polar align your equatorial telescope
March (2)
April deep sky watch
Back and better than ever – Meade Deep Sky Imager (DSI) IV
February (2)
March deep sky watch
How to setup and align your Meade LX65 telescope
January (2)
February deep sky watch
AudioStar explained
2022 (24)
December (2)
January deep sky watch
What you did not know you needed - Meade LPI-G
November (2)
December deep sky watch
Meade LX65 redefines ease of use
October (2)
November deep sky watch
Imaging sensors: dust, blemishes, dead and hot pixels
September (2)
October deep sky watch
Powering your telescope
August (2)
September deep sky watch
Apparent magnitude and its relevance to imaging
July (2)
August deep sky watch
Bring wildlife up close and personal
June (2)
July deep sky watch
Imaging with a video camera
May (2)
June deep sky watch
Sensor size and field of view
April (2)
May deep sky watch
How to setup the Meade LightBridge Plus
March (2)
April deep sky watch
Image projection explained
February (2)
March deep sky watch
How to use Meade SkyCapture part 2
January (2)
February deep sky watch
How to use Meade SkyCapture part 1
2021 (16)
December (2)
January deep sky watch
Aligning your computerised Alt-Az telescope
November (2)
December deep sky watch
Meade Instruments - Tijuana factory
October (2)
November deep sky watch
Imaging with a telescope
September (2)
October deep sky watch
An introduction to the Meade LX65 ACF telescopes
August (2)
September deep sky watch
Observing the Sun
July (1)
Understanding the Coronado PST & SolarMax III solar telescopes
June (2)
Solar and night-time astronomy
Reorganisation of Meade Instruments
May (2)
Wilderness Spotting Scopes
Online shopping
February (1)
Product catalogue 2021
2020 (13)
December (1)
Visual observation through an astronomical telescope
November (1)
How to Setup & Use Your 50mm Guide Scope
October (1)
How to polar align your equatorial telescope
September (1)
Choosing your second telescope
August (1)
Exclusive Meade dealer
July (1)
Stock update
June (1)
Coronado SolarMax III 70/90 solar telescope: A primer
May (2)
Remote control for Meade telescopes
Planetary prime focus astrophotography
April (2)
Deep sky prime focus astrophotography
Choosing your first telescope
March (1)
How to setup and align your Meade LX65 telescope
January (1)
Meade’s 10-inch LX600-ACF Telescope - Sky & Telescope magazine review
2019 (9)
November (1)
Meade’s 115-millimeter ED Triplet - Sky & Telescope magazine review
September (1)
Meade LX65 8-inch ACF - BBC Sky at Night magazine review
July (2)
Back and better than ever – Meade Deep Sky Imager (DSI) IV
What you did not know you needed - Meade LPI-G
June (1)
Meade LX65 8" ACF SkyNews review
May (1)
Meade LX65 8" ACF review
April (1)
Product catalogue 2019
February (1)
Meade LX850 astro-imaging system
January (1)
Meade and Coronado eyepieces
2018 (4)
December (1)
Meade LX65 and LX85 released
September (1)
Meade LX65 redefines ease of use
June (1)
Coronado SolarMax III 90 announced
March (1)
How to setup and align your ETX Observer
2017 (10)
December (1)
New law against laser pointer use
October (1)
SolarMax III and Series 6000 APO Quad
August (1)
Coronado SolarMax II
July (1)
Meade LPI-G camera review
June (1)
Coronado Personal Solar Telescope (PST)
May (2)
Meade ETX90 Observer review
Meade ETX Observer review
February (1)
Meade telescope offers at AstroFest 2017
January (2)
Meade at the European AstroFest 2017
Meade LX850 advert in print
2016 (25)
December (2)
Meade ETX90 Observer review
Choosing a small computerised telescope
November (1)
Photography with the Meade ETX90
October (4)
Meade LX90 advert in print
Meade ETX90 Observer review
The International Astronomy Show 2016
Meade STELLA Wi-Fi adapter
September (4)
Meade's successful Photokina 2016
Meade at Photokina 2016
Meade LX600 StarLock
Wilderness spotting scope review
August (2)
ETX Observer advert in print
LightBridge Mini review
July (2)
All-new Meade ETX Observer
North West Astronomy Festival 2016
June (8)
Meade LightBridge Mini 130 review
Meade at NEAF 2016
Tim Peake returns to Earth
Tring Astronomy Centre
AutoStar and AudioStar explained
Legislation to combat light pollution
Promotion extended through summer
Coronado advert in print
May (2)
European Extremely Large Telescope
Meade UK news