Excerpts from E-ELT groundbreaking event

Today a groundbreaking ceremony took place to mark the next major milestone towards ESO’s European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Part of the 3000-metre peak of Cerro Armazones was blasted away as a step towards levelling the summit in preparation for the construction of the largest optical/infrared telescope in the world.

Images from the ceremony at Paranal Observatory are seen. Subsecretario de Bienes Nacionales Jorge Maldonado is holding the radio as he is giving the final command for the blast.