ELT tilted on horizontal axis for first time
1 Oct 26 · 16d ago · 2 posts · 2 sources · development 1 of 1
The Extremely Large Telescope's 2,000-tonne altitude structure was tilted on its horizontal axis in October 2026. The structure was lifted onto hydrostatic bearing pads and moved on a pressurised oil film 120 microns thick—about a third the thickness of a human hair—before being returned to its upright position.
“The very first movement was just a gentle oscillation of a few centimetres around its balanced position. Watching it, I had the wonderful feeling of gently rocking a baby in its cradle. A rather heavy baby, indeed!”
Roberto Tamai, ELT Programme ManagerEuropean Southern Observatory (ESO) telescope operator and constructorRoberto Tamai ELT Programme Manager
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What people said 3 voices · verbatim
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2000 tonnes of steel sliding on a few microns of oil! Our Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) was tilted for the first time in October 2026. To point anywhere in the southern sky the telescope needs to rotate on two different axes. A few months ago it on its vertical axis for the first time. Now, tilting on its horizontal axis is another step in the…
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Honestly it's even more impressive to me for the vera c rubin observatory, because not only is that a pretty big telescope in its own right, it has to move really fast for a telescope, swinging multiple degrees and then fully stopping and stabilizing in under five seconds; the thing's built like a tank and anchored directly to virgin bedrock with…
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I simply cannot fathom the concept of tracking a target with milliarcsecond precision while keeping such a massive object from deforming even as it changes direction.
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