Work progresses on giant telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert

By Rodrigo Gutierrez

CERRO ARMAZONES, Chile (Reuters) - Dozens of boxes holding mirrors are placed along a remote desert hill in northern Chile as workers make progress in the construction of the Extremely Large Telescope, planned as one of the most capable astronomical observatories ever assembled.

The telescope, currently about 60% complete, is intended to search for evidence of potential life on planets beyond our solar system - called exoplanets - and peer back in time to look for the universe's earliest stars and galaxies. Its first scientific observations are expected by the end of 2028.

It is a 1.45 billion euros ($1.51 billion) project of the European Southern Observatory intergovernmental research organization.

"It's going to impact practically all areas of astronomy. We're going to be able to see how the first galaxies were formed at the beginning of the universe, the first stars," said astrophysicist Itziar de Gregorio, the European Southern Observatory's representative in Chile.

"We're going to see with a lot of detail, and characterize stars that are in other galaxies - and, above all, really advance in our understanding of other worlds that are around other stars. In particular, we're going to be studying the atmospheres of worlds around other stars to see if there are signs of life," de Gregorio added.

The boxes are due to be assembled into one giant mirror approximately 1-1/2 times the size of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. The telescope's primary mirror will measure about 39.3 meters (130 feet), made up of 798 pieces.

It is situated in the middle of the arid Atacama Desert, considered one of the best places on Earth for astronomy. The telescope is located on Armazones Hill, about 3,050 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level and located about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of Chile's capital.

The telescope is expected to be the largest optical-infrared facility in the world for decades.

The mirrors are ready and awaiting installation.

"This is a major challenge," said Tobias Muller, manager of assembly, integration and verification for the telescope.

"The telescope is a highly complex system, not just made up of one mirror, but multiple mirrors of different complexity," Muller added.

($1 = 0.9586 euros)

(Report by Rodrigo Gutierrez for Reuters TV; Written by Fabian Andres Cambero; Editing by Alexander Villegas and Will Dunham)