- Start
- Mar 31, 202940% CONFIDENCELow confidencefrom the source
Extremely Large Telescope Targets 2029 First Light
- ESO announced on 14 March 2025 that the Extremely Large Telescope's telescope first light is now planned for March 2029, with first test observations at the beginning of 2029[3]
- Scientific first light, after instruments are installed and commissioned, is expected in December 2030[2][3]
- Delays came from harsh weather at the site, technology taking longer than expected and equipment failing during manufacturing[3]
- The ELT is being built on Cerro Armazones (3,060 m) in the Atacama Desert, about 130 km south of Antofagasta, with a 39 m primary mirror of 798 segments[2]
- Milestones ahead: M2 in 2026, M3, dome and structure in 2027, M1 segments, M4 and M5 in 2028[2]
- Construction was over 50% complete by July 2023 and the first 18 segments reached Chile in January 2024[2]
References 356% CONFIDENCE
The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.
- [1]40%youtube.com/watch?v=loWQTkRrZxwyoutube.com· Posted Sep 14, 2026· Starts Mar 31, 2029 ✓· 68% of score
Date has moved, per the source: "telescope first light" is "now planned for March 2029," after "several of the telescope contracts suffered delays."
- [2]88%Timeline – ELT – ESOelt.eso.org· Published Jan 1, 2026· 25% of score
ESO's[3] own project timeline page confirms 'the ELT is set to make its first test observations in 2029,' consistent with the pin's stored March 2029 date, with scientific first light targeted for December 2030.
- [3]95%Telescope first light for ESO's Extremely Large Telescope now planned for March 2029 – ESOeso.org· Published Jan 1, 2025· 6% of score
ESO's[2] own announcement confirms telescope first light is 'expected in March 2029' - an exact match for the pin's stored date - with full scientific first light following in December 2030.
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