Largest telescope ever on Earth promises a “technological leap”!

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In 2023, while the routine activities of the James Webb Space Telescope attracted the attention of the general public in the field of astronomy, a major project was taking place on Earth, on the summit of Cerro Amazonas. the desertthe desert Chile’s Atacama, over 3,000 meters above sea level. It is here that the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is building the largest terrestrial telescope ever built,European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). Equipped with a 39-meter segmented mirror, the observatory, scheduled to enter service in 2028, promises a revolution in the field of astronomy.

Launched in June 2014, the ConstructionConstruction of ELT, “ Progress as per plan », explains Guy Perrin, AstronomerAstronomer At the Paris Observatory, as Head of Astronomy and Space Research at the MESR (Ministry of Higher Education and Research) and member of the ESO Council. As of today, the observatory is more than 50% complete. tasks” The remaining 50% must be faster than the first half to complete ” ESO expects the telescope to be fully operational in four years, with ” Spring 2028 and the first technical light planned since thenAutumn

Autumn 2028, the first scientific observations with the Mikado instrument begin ” CNRS asserts that Mikado will make it possible ” Capture images at high ResolutionResolution no’universeuniverse nearby InfraredInfrared. It will be necessary for the identification of ExoplanetExoplanetRevelation of the detailed structure of galaxiesgalaxies Distant places and studies the starsthe stars Individuals in nearby galaxies. Micado will represent a powerful tool for exploring the environment where Gravitational forcesGravitational forces and effects of General relativityGeneral relativity Extremely strong, such as close A supermassive black holeA supermassive black hole At the center of our galaxy, the Milk GangesMilk Ganges “

The dome of the observatory takes shape

The civil engineering work is almost complete. They were involved in ” The leveling of the summit on which the observatory stands and the construction of its foundation ” to reduce vibesvibes« The observatory is built on a large spring which acts as a shock absorber ” To date, the dome SteelSteel East ” Practically finished, just missing her the doorthe door And its dressing », While the central column was intended has Already in place to accommodate the metal structure of the telescope “

For the main mirror, this M1M1cannot be produced in one piece,” It is composed of 798 hexagonal segments and 6 equal sectors of 133 segments.

“One hundred and thirty-three replacement segments will also be manufactured. In December 2023, the ELT Technical Center received the first 18 mirror segments where they will be prepared for their future installation on the telescope’s main structure.” Each of these segments is 1.4 meters in diameter and about 5 centimeters thick and is covered by a thin layer.moneymoney itself is covered with a protective layer. »

Advanced scientific instruments

For scientific instruments, ESO has created six plans that can be divided into two phases. there is ” The first phase (Phase 1), of which there are four, is necessarily financed by the overall budget of the ELT, unlike the two instruments of Phase 2 which are financed by two separate consortia. “Every instrument, The development of which lasts for about twenty years “, one” is intended to have durationduration A lifespan of at least 10 years and represents a technological leap compared to equipment in service today “This Development Time” Highlighting the avant-garde character of each instrument can be compared to a space mission “

The Phase 1 instruments are Mikado, a near-infrared and visible spectro-imager, Morpheo adaptive optics dedicated to Mikado but which may be used for other instruments in the future. spectrographspectrograph Full Field (Harmony) with its Adaptive Optics System by. TomographyTomography laserlaserAlso attached to Matisse, a spectro-imager CoronagraphCoronagraph in the mid-infrared. As for the two phase 2 instruments, they are Andes, a spectrograph that allows the study of a broadbandbroadband Spectral with high resolution, and mosaic, multi-object spectrograph operating in visible light and near infrared.

Mikado, Harmony and Metis « ELT will be put into service gradually from the first technical light “That of phase 2 Will come after a few years As ESO points out, it is expected that later “ Other tools are installed to accommodate new needs or integrate new technologies

“

Minimal impact of climate change on local weather

Despite the challenges posed by Change in atmosphereChange in atmosphereThe site of the observatory is “ Yet well preserved from major climatic disturbances ” However, with an El Niño event, which occurs on average every four years, MeteorologyMeteorology can localize ” Reduced site performance for a few months ” Regarding human activity, however, astronomers have noted an increase in it brightnessbrightness The mountains from the sky and AmazonsAmazonsESO sites are “ Chile is located in areas protected by the state that benefit from restrictions aimed at mitigation nuisancenuisance Brilliant for observations “

Giant American telescope closed

Unlike the huge American observatories Giant Magellan Telescope And Thirty Meter TelescopeConstruction of which has been delayed for years due to financial problems and local opposition to the TMT in Mauna Kea (Hawaii), the ELT project has overcome various hurdles, including financing related hurdles, A nationwide epidemicA nationwide epidemic No COVID-19COVID-19The situation in Ukraine and the increase in costs materialmaterial First