First ELT Main Mirror Segments Successfully Cast
ESO's Extremely Large Telescope will be the largest optical telescope ever built — the "world's biggest eye on the sky".
Its main mirror will be 39 metres across and consist of 798 hexagonal segments each measuring 1.4 metres across and 5 cm thick.
The first six segments have just been successfully cast by the German company, SCHOTT.
When shaped, polished and mounted in the telescope, the segments will work together as a single huge mirror
The completed ELT will collect more light than all current optical research telescopes combined.
Transcribed by ESO, translated by —