About

• It is a project of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) intergovernmental research organisation and is planned to be the world’s largest optical telescope, with a giant primary mirror (made of 798 small mirrors) that measures 39 meters across. 

• The telescope is under construction atop Armazones hill, which is about 3 km above sea level in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
  • Cerro Armazones was selected as the location for the ELT because of its excellent atmospheric and climatic conditions.
• The telescope is currently about 60% complete and its first scientific observations are expected by the end of 2028.
• It is intended to search for evidence of potential life on exoplanets and to look for the universe’s earliest stars and galaxies. 
• Researchers plan to use the telescope to characterise stars in other galaxies and to study the atmospheres of exoplanets for signs of life.