This mirror will stabilise the images of the Extremely Large Telescope | ELT Updates

With a 39-metre primary mirror, ESO's Extremely Large Telescope will have five mirrors in total. Two of them — M4 and M5 — will work together to cancel out atmospheric turbulence and vibrations due to wind and the telescope's mechanisms.

We are now testing the sophisticated cell that will support the M5. This mirror will have to tip and tilt 10 times per second while remaining perfectly flat and rigid – a technological challenge, as the mirror weighs 500 kg!

Discover more about ESO’s ELT at: https://elt.eso.org/

Watch our ELT playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSZ2Jv0bEZHy7el0mIrOMRKkhCw8pemaZ