Drone shot of the ELT under construction at Cerro Armazones

This image, taken in late June 2023, shows a drone shot of the construction site of ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope at Cerro Armazones, in Chile's Atacama Desert. There, engineers and construction workers are currently assembling the structure of the telescope dome at a staggering pace. Visibly changing each day, the steel structure will soon acquire the familiar round shape typical of telescope domes. 

People visible at the bottom of the frame give a sense of scale to the photo, showcasing just how big the dome of ELT will be. Behind the telescope, we see the shadow of Cerro Armazones, projected onto the desert landscape.