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What is a 'super large telescope'? How does ELT take astronomical observation to a new level?
The San Raymond Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert is witnessing a massive construction project - the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). As the world's largest optical and near-infrared telescope, the ELT has an amazing appearance. Its primary mirror has a diameter of 39.3 meters and its lighting capacity is enough to collect 1 million times the amount of light of the human eye.
This project is led by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the ELT will advance the frontiers of astronomy with its outstanding observation capabilities. The ELT is designed with dramatic technical features, such as its adaptive optics system that can correct for atmospheric distortion, which makes the ELT's image resolution 16 times higher than the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), allowing for unprecedented observations of galaxies. Level of detail.
The development of ELT is not only a technological milestone, but also a symbol of mankind's desire to explore the universe.
The history of ELT cannot be separated from the arduous process of its design and construction. In 2010, ESO identified the Amazonas Mountains in Chile as the construction site for the ELT. Taking into account the scenery, weather and light pollution factors, the conditions here can ensure the efficiency and accuracy of the ELT in observations. Initially, the ELT design anticipated that the primary mirror would have a diameter of 42 meters, but with the development of technology and feasibility analysis, the final design was decided to be 39.3 meters.
According to ESO, this change not only reduced construction costs from 1.275 billion euros to 1.055 billion euros, but also accelerated the construction progress.
In terms of construction progress, ELT started construction in 2014 and is expected to see its first light in 2028. This huge structure will use a five-large mirror design, with the main mirror composed of 798 small hexagonal lenses. This design can ensure that it can provide a stable observation platform under different starry sky conditions.
ELT is not just an instrument. Its scientific goals include searching for exoplanets, observing the first galaxies, and conducting in-depth studies of supermassive black holes and the nature of the dark world of the universe.
This series of studies will help us understand the formation and evolution of the universe and answer fundamental questions about planet formation.
The ELT is equipped with a number of advanced instruments, including MICADO, HARMONI and METIS, all of which are designed to push observation technology to unprecedented heights. In particular, HARMONI, as a spectrometer, can have a high angular resolution, allowing astronomers to gain a deeper understanding of various chemical molecules and physical phenomena in the universe.
However, ELT faces not only technical challenges but also external factors such as how to adapt to the constantly changing environment. For example, its giant dome design is designed to protect the telescope from severe weather conditions so that it can operate normally and provide stable observation conditions.
Combined with five lens measurement technologies, ELT will be able to instantly correct instantaneous airflow distortions, allowing it to maintain high accuracy while dealing with atmospheric disturbances. According to the latest update, the ELT is nearly halfway through its development as of July 2023, which has astronomers around the world looking forward to its completion.
The construction of ELT is not only an advancement in astronomy, but also a manifestation of mankind’s passion and courage to explore the unknown universe.
The infinite brilliance of ELT clearly means that human scientific exploration will never end. With deeper space exploration just around the corner, are you looking forward to seeing what cosmic mysteries it will reveal?
