Optical telescope, the world's largest E-ELT is starting construction on a mountain in Chile

Recently, the engineer has leveled the top of the mountain Cerro Armazones 3064 meters high in Chile's northern desert region to pave the way for the largest optical telescope in the world called the E-ELT. As expected, the telescope will be completed and put into operation in 2022 to provide astronomers to directly image distant planets in the solar system and fuzzy contribute to a better understanding of the formation of the first galaxies after the Big Bang.

E-ELT telescope project is the world's largest established by the Astronomical Observatory Southern Europe (ESO) in 2006. However, due to the impact of the global economic recession caused 14 houses funding fall into financial predicament. Therefore, the telescope projects worth $ 1.3 billion to move on to the start time of 2012. Finally, the first steps in the project has just started implementing this year.

With the glass surface 39 meters in diameter, larger than 4 times higher than current telescopes, the E-ELT is capable of collecting light 100 million times higher than the human eye. According to information from the ESO E-ELT telescope more powerful at least 15 times higher than the most powerful telescopes at the present time. With the ability to provide higher-resolution images 15 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists believe that the E-ELT will contribute to solve the two greatest mysteries in our universe is dark matter and dark energy.

To build huge structures such as the E-ELT, researchers have leveled the block of rock 18 meters high on top of the mountain Cerro Armazones large amount of explosives in order to create a space the size of 2 football stadium. Scientists involved in the project, Joe Liske said: "You imagine to put a big project like E-ELT must be a large enough space respectively. Simultaneously also need more space containing material construction materials and machinery can operate. "

After leveling the top, the height of the mountain Cerro Armazones will fall from 3064 down to 3046 meters and is considered the most likely candidate to scientists telescope at ESO E-ELT. Also, according to the calculation, the control room of the telescope E-ELT will be located at the Paranal mountain observatory by the half-hour ride.

So far, the Atacama desert in Chile is proud of the ideal destination for astronomers to study serve. The reason is that every year, this land has 320 night sky, less light pollution, low humidity, air stable and has many high peaks create quite perfect conditions for astronomical observations.

According Theverge, Telegraph, Theguardian