The 'Extremely Large Telescope' on track to study the universe by 2024
20 Dec 2014 • engadget.comThe construction of European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope, which will boast a humongous 39-meter aperture, is no longer in limbo.
Whoa. That’s almost 128 feet. When I think “aperture” I’m usually thinking cameras so that sounds just insane.
Its development in Chile’s Atacama Desert is finally on track two years after the project was approved, thanks to Poland joining the organization. See, the country brought in enough money so that the telescope’s now 90 percent funded, which was the goal the ESO set to greenlight phase one of construction. “Phase one” entails building the dome and the structure itself, a feat that will take 10 years and €1 billion ($1.24 billion) to complete.
Sounds like a long time but I guess space will still be there.