The European Extremely Large Telescope Project (E-ELT), which focuses on constructing a 40-m long telescope, has been launched officially. This telescope will be constructed in Chili with EPFL-made technologies.
This innovative €1.08 B worth project will be carried out a few meters beyond the Chili-based Cerro Armazones. This European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) and its principal 39.3 m-diameter mirror will enable better observation of stars and distant galaxies.
Professor and head of EPFL’s Astrophysics Laboratory, Georges Meylan represents the advisory board of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Switzerland. This intergovernmental organization has been established to promote the construction of giant telescope within a decade.
As part of this project, a principal mirror having 800 mirrors will be constructed. This structure will be safely enclosed within an extensive dome. This telescope has the sensitivity needed to capture 100 million times more light compared to human eye. The telescope will provide details on the exoplanets, Earth’s sister planets, and also more remote objects including the first galaxies created following the Big Bang.
It is a challenging task to mount the massive observatory at the summit of a mountain over 3,000 m high within the center of the Atacama Desert. With unique atmospheric conditions (340 clear sky nights per year), the location is ideal for housing the large telescope. ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) beyond 20 km will accommodate EELT’s technicians. EPFL plays a critical role in building this telescope.
The project has just been initiated. Meylan and his consortium believe that EPFL is located at the right place to provide the right solutions. The observatory is expected to be completed and ready for operation in 2019-2020.
Source: http://www.epfl.ch/
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