Part 4/9:
Constructing such a telescope commands high levels of engineering ingenuity. The ELT's opening dome will have an 85-meter diameter, and the telescope itself will be supported by a sophisticated network of structures capable of making micrometric adjustments while bracing against seismic activities common to Chile. The 798 hexagonal segments of the primary mirror will work in unison, utilizing adaptive optics to counteract atmospheric distortions, resulting in images that rival those taken in space.