Construction is set to begin early this year on the European Extremely Large Telescope, a nearly US$ 1.4 billion project in Cerro Armazones, Chile, reported Constructiondigital. The instrument, which will be the world's largest ground-based optical telescope, will give sky enthusiasts and astronomers the world over an unprecedented view of the cosmos, allowing for the discovery of earth-like planets, insight into the mysteries surrounding dark matter and dark energy, and one of the deepest views into the known universe.

The project, headed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), will break ground early 2012 as crews prepare access roads to the remote site within Chile's Atacama Desert and begin preparation of the telescope's five mirrors. The primary mirror will measure a staggering 42 meters across - more than 30 meters larger than the Keck Observatory in Hawaii (10 meters). The telescope's incredible size will allow for 15 times more light collection than the biggest telescopes currently in operation.

The ESO hopes to have the telescope operational within the next decade."The E-ELT is starting to become reality," said ESO Director General Tim de Zeeuw. "However, with a project of this size it is expected that approval of the extra expenditure will take time. Council at the same time recognizes that preparatory work must start now in order for the project to be ready for a full start of construction in 2012."