Science - Schott has delivered all elements for reflector telescope
After years of work, special glass manufacturer Schott has delivered the last element for the world's largest mirror telescope. For six years, mirror carriers made of glass ceramics for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), currently being built in the Atacama Desert in Chile at an altitude of 3046 meters, were produced at Schott's headquarters in Mainz.
The customer was the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which is building the optical giant telescope in the Atacama Desert. Ideal conditions for astronomical observations prevail there due to the often clear sky. The ELT is estimated to cost around 1.45 billion Euros, it is scheduled to capture light for the first time in 2028 and effectively start operating.
The main mirror of the ELT has a diameter of 39 meters, consisting of 798 hexagonal mirror elements made of glass ceramics. Schott reportedly produced 949 mirror carriers for the main mirror, each with a diameter of 1.5 meters and a thickness of 50 millimeters, some of which are kept as spares. Schott also manufactured mirrors for three other components of the powerful installation.
The ELT will have five mirrors as the largest telescope in the world for visible light and the near infrared range. It is expected to image distant galaxies in unprecedented detail and will deliver much sharper images than, for example, the well-known Hubble Space Telescope of the US space agency NASA.
Information about the ELT project Information about the ELT of the European Southern Observatory
- The delivery from Schott wasambitious, as it was the final component for the ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) being constructed in the Atacama Desert, Chile.
- The German glass manufacturer, Schott, based in Rhineland-Palatinate's Mainz, has been a key industry partner in the construction of the ELT, providing mirror carriers for six years.
- The ELT, a project of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), is located in the Atacama Desert, known for its ideal conditions for astronomical observations due to its clear sky.
- The ELT, with its main mirror consisting of 798 hexagonal mirror elements and 949 mirror carriers produced by Schott, will be the largest telescope in the world for visible light and the near infrared range.
- The European Southern Observatory (ESO), headquartered in Germany, is responsible for constructing the ELT, an optical giant telescope that is expected to revolutionize science in the Atacama Desert.
