He built the world's largest telescope

The UK Astronomy Technology Center (UK ATC) has begun development of the first instrument on an advanced telescope called the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT).

The ELT, a telescope as large as the Colosseum , will be located 3,000 meters above sea level in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The European Southern Observatory (ESO), which also manages the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in the same desert, directed the construction process. The high location provides ideal dry conditions to conduct astronomical observations, Interesting Engineering reported on May 17.

The shape of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). (Photo: New Atlas).

ELT's first instrument is the mid-infrared ELT imager and spectrometer (METIS). METIS recently passed final design review and is ready for production. The block in charge of METIS includes 10 astronomy research institutes, including the Netherlands School of Astronomy Research (NOVA) and Leiden University. According to director Gillian Wright, the METIS device will ensure ELT can observe more accurately in mid-infrared light, contributing to changing human understanding of the universe.

Astronomers will use the instrument's mid-infrared observations to look at the planet-forming disk filled with gas and dust. Dust particles frequently absorb visible light. Therefore, mid-infrared imaging is essential to study these areas. The data could enhance our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. Among other scientific goals, METIS will study nearby exoplanets, explore the origin of the Solar System and galactic cores, where supermassive black holes lurk. In particular, ELT's key equipment can search for planets suitable for life. That's because some cool planets produce light in the mid-infrared range.

The ELT is one of the most ambitious science and engineering projects in history , aiming to explore the most remote corners of the universe. ELT will explore the universe, using visible and infrared light. The telescope's 39 m main mirror is capable of collecting 100 million times more light than the human eye.

The ELT will use the power of five mirrors to examine the universe at an unprecedented level of detail. Three mirrors have a curved shape to explore and photograph the sky from a wide angle. High-tech mirrors allow the ground-based ELT to produce images 16 times sharper than the Hubble space telescope.

With a series of advanced equipment, ELT will seek to answer fundamental questions about the universe, such as the existence of Earth-like planets around other stars, signs of life outside the Solar System. and estimate the rate of expansion of the universe. As expected, this 3,000-ton telescope will begin scientific operations in 2028.