Anthony Horton5d ago

If you have a 3D printer that you're not using (or, better yet, several of them) and you're looking for a project, here's an Extremely Large one for you: a printable 3D model of @esoastronomy's Extremely Large Telescope, https://www.eso.org/public/products/models3d/ELT-3D-Print-model/

There are a *lot* of parts, many of which are small and intricately detailed. It would be a time consuming challenge to print and assemble, but it must be possible because there are photos of the resulting model bundled with the STEP file.

#3Dprinting #Astronomy #Astrodon #ELT #ESO_ELT #Telescope

Show threadAnthony Horton5d ago

If you're more into Lego than 3D printing @esoastronomy still has you covered. There are parts lists and assembly instructions for Lego models of both the Extremely Large Telescope and the Very Large Telescope, https://www.eso.org/public/australia/announcements/ann16013/?lang

#Lego #Astrodon #Astronomy #ELT #ESO #VLT #Telescope

Show threadAnthony Horton

A fun detail in that photo of the two Lego telescope models in my previous post: that's the Very Large Telescope sitting on the right Nasmyth instrument platform of the Extremely Large Telescope. The two models are built to approximately the same scale, a VLT Unit Telescope (without its dome) really would fit on the instrument platform of the ELT, the jump in scale from the current generation of telescopes to the next is just that big.

I'm 2024 I was lucky enough to be able to photograph the ELT from the VLT and vice versa, enabling me to make a size comparison of my own: https://aus.social/@spacelizard/113185149611957251

#Astrodon #Astronomy #ELT #VLT #ESO #Telescope

Anthony Horton (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image I edited a couple of my own photos into a size comparison of ESO's Very Large Telescope(s) and Extremely Large Telescope. The top is the VLT photographed from the ELT (in the middle of the day) and the bottom photo is the ELT photographed from the VLT (at sunset). Same distance (20 km), same camera, same lens, so the scale of the two photos should be identical. The source photos (and more) can be found here: https://drhotdog.smugmug.com/Astronomy-and-Observatories/Paranal-2024/Landscapes-with-telescopes Edit: I removed the ELT scale bar because of a couple of issues. First, because the photo of the ELT was taken from a lower altitude part of the ELT building is hidden behind the near side of the flattened mountaintop. Second, the ELT dome doors have not yet been installed so the current structure is, I think, less than 80 metres tall. #Astrodon #Astronomy #ESO #ELT #VLT #Paranal

Aus.Social
May 12 at 4:16amWeb
Show threadAnthony Horton5d ago
Given the recent Australian government decision to not join ESO printing/building these models might the closest that astronomers in this part of the world ever get to access to the ELT.
Show threadPᵉtɘr Wᵉil8acher5d ago
@spacelizard Oh, I thought Australia was at least part of an ELT instrument consortium or two. But it appears that this is not the case?!
Show threadAnthony Horton5d ago
@PWei888 Not at the moment, as far as I'm aware. There have been some discussions about it, and it may well end up happening at some point (there's certainly plenty of work to do!), but right now I don't think there's any active involvement.