Extremely Large Telescope
The main mirror of the European Southern Observatory’s new telescope in Chile’s Atacama Desert will be even larger than that of the Thirty Meter Telescope, at 39 meters (128 feet) across. The telescope is set to become the largest visible and infrared light telescope in the world, succeeding the ESO’s Very Large Telescope, and will gather 100 million times more light than the human eye. The telescope’s scientific goals include the study of exoplanets (and the possibility that some could host life), black holes, galactic evolution, and the earliest days of the universe. The telescope’s first light is expected in 2027.
