ELT project is currently being implemented within the EU Frame 6 program. Technical coordination of Telescope project realization is conducted by the Canarias Institute for Astrophysics (IAC – www.iac.es). E-BAT project is one of 11 packages – that cover entire ELT project – with an operative budget of one billion euros and realization time of approx. 10 years.

To get a feeling for the size of this project, using hypothetical analogy, imagine if you put St. Paul’s cathedral (in London) on top of a 2,500 m mountain. The telescope dome height is approximately 241 m and the volume is 1,500,000 m3. Wings of shutters on the dome are 65×23 m in size, each weighing 14 tons (similar to the wing span of Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet).

The e-BAT project is based on a new approach of wind and air motion control that ensures the shape of the dome and its wing position. With its individual and group control of many different operations they fully comply with specific needs of the Observatory.

Diameter of mirror series is 42 meters in total. The biggest telescope in the world today has a diameter of 12.5 m.

The design centers on a system of thermo-corrective wing doors design to operate in all conditions. This concept suggests strategy of self-sustainable energy that integrates construction, work, environment protection and project energy independence which has vital importance due to the telescope’s 2,500 m altitude location on Grand Canaria Island.

e-Bat – a multidisciplinary European team suggested to the Canarias Institute for Astrophysics a new containment concept; one that would use its appearance and imagination as a potential to become an inspiring and unique symbol of human peaceful scientific efforts.

COMMERCIAL, OFFICE & COMPLEX BUILDINGS

European Extremely Large Telescope

• SERVICES RENDERED

  Architecture

• PROJECT SIZE

  Full enclosure for 42m telescope

• PROJECT VALUE

  200m €

• PROJECT PERIOD

  2004

• INVESTOR

  IAC (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias) and ESO European Southern Observatory