E-ELT Location chosen

[Bj]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8645511.stm

Europe has chosen the place it wants to build the world's biggest telescope.
The observatory will be constructed on Cerro Armazones, a 3,000m-high mountain in Chile's Atacama Desert. The E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) will have a primary mirror 42m in diameter - about five times the width of today's best telescopes.

....


E-ELT - BIGGEST EYE ON THE SKY
Basic design completed in 2006; detailed work now under way


Main mirror consists of 984 segments; each is 1.45m wide


Final image requires use of four further - but smaller - mirrors


Latest optics techniques correct for atmospheric distortions


Construction could start in 2011; likely cost is one billion euros

What gets me is how can they make up for the atmospheric distortions? Must be some pretty advanced stuff.

 

[tblaxland]

What gets me is how can they make up for the atmospheric distortions? Must be some pretty advanced stuff.

Short answer: make an artificial star in the sky using a laser beam and measure the wavefront distortion from it then deform the mirror to cancel it out. More on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_optics#Adaptive_optics_in_astronomy

 

[SiberianTiger]

Will the mirror be movable at all?

 

[tblaxland]

Will the mirror be movable at all?

Yes, alt-az mount. Operational alt limit of 30° above the horizon.

EDIT: A picture says a thousand words:

 

[Sar]

I just laughed at the name, they could've used a bit of imagination

"European Extremely large telescope" Now I'm just waiting E-BMR "European big mars rocket"

 

[RisingFury]

Can't wait untill this is built! This will be a magnificent telescope!

 

[Urwumpe]

I just laughed at the name, they could've used a bit of imagination

"European Extremely large telescope" Now I'm just waiting E-BMR "European big mars rocket"

Comes right after the launch of the VLMMLV - The Very Large Mars&Moon Launch Vehicle.

---------- Post added at 12:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 PM ----------

A picture says a thousand words:

What a nice example of Victorian Plumbing. Looks almost steampunk.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

What gets me is how can they make up for the atmospheric distortions? Must be some pretty advanced stuff.

Well, you know, it is extremely large - maybe it pokes out above the atmosphere?!

 

[Hielor]

I just laughed at the name, they could've used a bit of imagination

"European Extremely large telescope" Now I'm just waiting E-BMR "European big mars rocket"

The observatory will be constructed on Cerro Armazones, a 3,000m-high mountain in Chile's Atacama Desert

Chile's Atacama Desert

Chile

Now...I haven't taken geography in a few years, but when did Chile move to Europe?

 

[Notebook]

Same time as Australia?
http://www.spaceuk.org/bstreak/eldo/darwin.html

ELDO=European Launcher Development Organisation.

N.

 

[cjp]

http://translate.google.com/#auto|en|eelt

I don't know, ...but did they do this check?

 

[Urwumpe]

Now...I haven't taken geography in a few years, but when did Chile move to Europe?

It is not European, we are just permitted for some decades to operate our "European Southern Observatory" there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Southern_Observatory

 

[tblaxland]

http://translate.google.com/#auto|en|eelt

I don't know, ...but did they do this check?

:lol:

Now...I haven't taken geography in a few years, but when did Chile move to Europe?

I guess if you are going to cough up all the money, you can call it whatever you want.

 

[Keatah]

Well, you know, it is extremely large - maybe it pokes out above the atmosphere?!

Bwaaaaaahahhahahaaa!!! :rofl:

 

[RisingFury]

This telescope is actually a downsized version of the OLT - Overwhelmingly Large Telescope. The mirror was planned to be 100 m across, but it has been determined that technology is out of our reach and it would take too many resources to build it.

 

[bwog]

"Construction could start in 2011; likely cost is one billion euros"

That's if the economy doesn't crash, otherwise it could be at least 20 times that much.

 

[Xyon]

Overwhelmingly Large Telescope... :rofl: