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New milestone reached 🥳 Nearly 500 segments of the main mirror of our ELT have now arrived from Europe at the ELT Technical Facility at our Paranal Observatory in Chile. That is around half of all the segments being made for what will become a 39-metre eye on the sky. 🔭 🧪

14/10/26, 12:04 pm29 reposts122 likes

Nostos

@nostosfit.bsky.social

Half a mirror delivered, one very careful box at a time. That might be the most satisfying unboxing in astronomy.

ESO

@eso.org

It is not possible to make a mirror this big from a single piece of glass. That is why the main mirror of the ELT consists of 798 individual segments, working together as one, to observe the cosmos in depth and detail. 🔭 🧪

viciykevin.bsky.social

@viciykevin.bsky.social

When are all segments expected to be delivered?

ESO

@eso.org

133 additional segments have been produced (that is, a total of 931). This way, once the telescope is operating, a segment can be taken out for recoating and be immediately replaced. Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann26009/

Kyle

@scikyle.bsky.social

Are there sets of mirrors in the array with the same base curvature, or is each one bespoke for its position like a Space Shuttle thermal tile? I would imagine there's some degree of similarity possible through symmetry.

ESO

@eso.org

The full mirror has a six-fold symmetry: you can divide it into 6 sectors of 133 segments each. These segments are different from each other, but identical to those of the other sectors. So in addition to the 798 segments of the main mirror we procured 133 additional ones. 1/2

Andre Izecson

@izecson.bsky.social

In a world that seems so determined to destroy itself, it is very comforting to see Europe still carrying the torch of knowledge