The World’s Extremely Large Telescope emerges under a stream of stars

Under the flowing band of the Milky Way, the world’s most ambitious telescope is steadily rising from Chile’s Atacama Desert. ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) stands mid-construction, its vast structure visible through a half-built dome as a giant crane stretches above. (Image: ESO)

There's something enchanting about gazing at the stars on a peaceful evening. Picture it: viewing a giant telescope emerging under the same sky. In Chile's Atacama Desert, a new wonder is slowly emerging — the European Southern Observatory's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), to become the world's largest eye on the universe.

Construction Scene Illuminated by the Milky Way

A recent photo shows the ELT construction under the stars. The Milky Way stretches brightly across the dark desert sky. A crane cable cuts through the frame like a fishing line. It hangs still, as if pulling stars down to Earth. Within the steel frame of the half-built dome, white beams outline the shape of the future telescope. Surrounding it, the curved shapes of giant dome doors begin to take form. The doors will shield the telescope from dust and desert winds.

A Telescope of Unprecedented Scale

This photograph was captured using ESO's live construction webcams. The cameras provide real-time reports from the ELT's mountain abode. It's difficult to gauge the scale from a single photo. But when complete, the dome of the telescope will be 80 metres high. That's almost as tall as London's Big Ben, spire-less. Small crane trucks parked at the base indicate just how tall the structure already stands. Someday, this telescope will gather more light than any telescope ever has. It's being constructed under some of the planet's clearest night skies.

See History Unfold from Your Screen

The live webcams bring this far-off project into your home. They display every new bolt and beam being installed in real time. The ELT is slowly coming together in quiet, under stars that have been watching us for centuries. And through your computer screen, you can see each step, as if you were standing in the desert — seeing something remarkable come together under the universe.