The biggest European telescope, which will be built in the Andes, will be entirely Italian.
Italy has in fact received the largest order ever awarded for a Ground Astronomy project: at the headquarters of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) was the contract worth a total of about 400 million euros, to build the dome and the mechanical support structure of the E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) telescope. The maxithelescope, with a main mirror measuring 39 meters in diameter, will be the largest optical / infrared telescope ever built.
The consortium of Italian ACe companies, made up of Astaldi, Cimolai and the nominated EIE group subcontractor, obtained the order. Minister Stefania Giannini celebrated the event: “today in the prestigious ESO headquarters we celebrate another success of public research and Italian industrial excellence in Europe. With the awarding of the contract to create the mechanical structure and dome of the European Extremely Large Telescope (EELT), Italy confirms its leadership capacity in high-tech scientific sectors that focus on worlds that have always been of great fascination for 'humanity".
The telescope will provide images about 15 times sharper than those of Hubble; it will be built in northern Chile, on a site already equipped for the purpose.
