A commemorative time capsule has been buried at the construction site of what will soon be the world’s largest visible and infrared telescope.
On October 13th, European Southern Observatory (ESO) celebrated the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ETL) by burying a sealed time capsule in 2017 when construction first began. The capsule is filled with tokens celebrating the collaboration between ESO staff, the observatory and Chile. It also celebrates the amazing science and technology behind the 39.3-meter telescope.
“Contains memorabilia from Chilean authorities, such as a plaque and a painting from then-Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Geria about opening the country’s skies to global issues, serving as a symbolic message to future generations.” “It features stories from children in Chile, space, ESO’s telescopes, and the landscapes of northern Chile,” said an ESO official. statement.
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Photos of ESO staff and a copy of a book describing the future scientific goals of ELT, which is expected to see “first light” by 2028, were also preserved. The time capsule is buried in the walls of the ELT Dome in Cerro Almazones, Chile’s Atacama Desert, where ESO currently operates. very large telescope (VLT).
The time capsule was covered with a sculpted hexagon modeled on one-fifth scale of one of the ELT’s primary mirror segments. The October 13th event was led by ESO Council President Linda Tacconi (Germany) and Vice President Mirjam Rieshout Feifelberg (Netherlands). A few days later, on October 15, ESO Council members installed a commemorative plaque next to the location where the time capsule was buried.
In July, ELT reached the halfway point of construction, with an expected completion date of 2028. The telescope, which for now only appears to be a steel structure, will eventually house five separate mirrors, the largest of which will be: 798 individual hexagonal segments.
The 39.3-meter (120-foot) wide ELT can capture more light than current ground-based telescopes, giving it a clearer picture of the universe and potentially aiding the search for life outside. . earth reveals new insights about the nature of dark matter And dark energy.
“As the world’s largest optical and infrared telescope, ELT will change our understanding of the universe,” ESO officials said in a statement. “Its scientific goals range from our solar system to the edges of the observable universe, including exoplanets, black holes, and the first stars and galaxies.”