The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), the biggest telescope ever built, is under construction now in northern Chile. When it begins operations in 2028, it will transform the way we understand the universe. This revolutionary telescope will reach new heights in breathtaking views of the Milky Way. It will be the most revolutionary telescope from ground or space ever operated. With a primary mirror array boasting an effective diameter of 39 meters, the ELT is designed to capture faint atmospheric spectra from exoplanets and distinguish between different Earth-like worlds, potentially detecting life beyond our solar system.
The telescope’s scientific potential is already staggering and will dramatically change the way we observe the universe. In addition, the ELT will focus an order of magnitude more light than previous telescopes, making it an extremely powerful telescope. That is the same as 16 times sharper than images collected by the Hubble Space Telescope. With its higher sensitivity, it gives astronomers the tools they need to be the first to discover atmospheres on exoplanets. Yet the ability to do so has eluded existing technology.
One of the ELT’s most noteworthy technological advancements is its ability to capture planetary spectra in as little as one hour, even for Neptune-sized worlds. Furthermore, it can identify minimal atmospheres with spectral features too weak for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe. This sensitivity extends to observing the atmospheres of exoplanets in systems such as TRAPPIST-1, providing valuable insights into their composition and potential habitability.
The ELT’s capabilities don’t stop with transiting exoplanets. Beyond the transit method it will be able to collect spectra from non-transiting exoplanets through reflected starlight, expanding the reach of the planetary exploration frontier. In just ten hours of observation, the ELT could detect life on an Earth-like world in the Proxima Centauri system, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
ELT’s state-of-the-art technology and telescope capability will pinpoint false positives/negatives with a precision unachievable with observational data alone. This ability is extremely important for precisely studying exoplanet atmospheres. With this intelligence in place, astronomers can trust the data they’re capturing, leading to more conclusive scientific results.
