Carved out of the mountain

It's a long way to the top of Cerro Armazones, where ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is steadily rising. In this drone shot from January 2025, the telescope might look small, but its rotating enclosure actually extends about 80 meters from the ground and measures 93 metres in diameter. The main structure of the telescope, which will hold its five mirrors, is clearly visible inside the dome. The ELT's primary mirror alone will have a diameter of 39 metres.

Crédito:
ESO/G. Vecchia