Sebastian Rodriguez/Courtesy of Chilean Presidency/Handout via Reuters

ATACAMA DESERT, Chile (Reuters) - Construction began in Chile on Friday on the European Extremely Large Telescope, which when completed will be the world’s largest optical telescope, some five times larger than the top observing instruments in use today. The size of the ELT has the potential to transform our understanding of the universe, say its backers, with its main mirror that will measure some 39 meters (43 yards) across. “Here in the Atacama Desert, one of the most symbolic places of the nation – and the driest place in the world – we are doing more than build a telescope, we are witnessing one of the greatest examples of what science and technology can achieve,” President Michelle Bachelet said. Niranjan Thatte, Principal Investigator for ‘HARMONI’ and Professor of Astrophysics at Oxford’s Department of Physics

The ELT is being built by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), an international collaboration supported by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Construction begins on the European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in northern Chile. The ELT is expected to become operational in 2024.