A Dome to the Heavens

This simulated design shows how the dome of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will tower above the people working at the observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Once built, the dome will stand about 80 metres high, dwarfing other similar constructions. The ELT dome and telescope structure contract, including the design, manufacture and construction is with the Italian consortium ACe and is the largest ground-based astronomy contract ever.