European Extremely Large Telescope

[reactolite]

European Extremely Large Telescope - 40 mts.   And this was a compromise as originally they wanted 100mts, aperture fever or what!!

Will this behemoth have enough resolution to directly image planets outside our solar system?  If not then just how big a telescope would be needed to do that?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Spotting planets directly is not just a matter of resolving power. The hardest bit is to get rid of the glare of the star. I am not sure if that can be done from within the earth's atmosphere, even with adaptive optics

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Yes, it's some scope. Its science goals include direct imaging of exoplanets, possibly even rocky planets.

Here's a nice graphic that shows the size of the mirror.

[reactolite]

Yes, it's some scope. Its science goals include direct imaging of exoplanets, possibly even rocky planets.

Here's a nice graphic that shows the size of the mirror.

This is a really nice comparison chart.   Thanks!

[laser_jock99]

What happened to the Overwhelmingly Large Telescope then?

[alan687]

i read that the original plan was for a 42m telescope but it was outside the budget so they removed a ring of mirrors reducing to to 39m, but it only costs a billion + a mountain to put it on so i might order one

[mjpfc]

I've just paced across my Garden - 13 Mtrs and only 36 feet above sea level.........

What were they thinking!

I wish they would consult before they go to development on these things.

Looks like they'll have to go to Chile again.

[alan687]

I've just paced across my Garden - 13 Mtrs and only 36 feet above sea level.........

What were they thinking!

I wish they would consult before they go to development on these things.

Looks like they'll have to go to Chile again.

just keep moving your garden fence out a meter every couple of weeks, you will get there and no one will notice, well they wont notice until you build a 39m telescope

[Knight of Clear Skies]

What happened to the Overwhelmingly Large Telescope then?

That one never got off the drawing board, we'll have to make do with extremely rather than overwhelmingly large for the time being. I guess Spinal Tap weren't on the committee.

[mjpfc]

Don't worry, the Chinese will weigh in soon with the "Crust crackingly Large"  Telescope (Binocular).

[Kel Solaar]

Apparently they have trimmed the top of the Cerro Armazones mountain a few days ago:

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Chilean+mountaintop+blasted+install+European+Extremely+Large/9955013/story.html

Here is the location on Google Maps: http://goo.gl/f09i1R

KS