An extremely big deal; Joining the ESO

HERE’S a question for pub quiz fans: What is the EELT?

Answer: The European Extremely Large Telescope.

It suggests the kind of sublime silliness to be found in an old Monty Python TV sketch. It is, in fact, a semi-serious name for a serious project involving an astronomical observatory being built by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile.

When it’s up and running, it will be the largest optical and infrared telescope in the world. Its purpose is to advance our astrophysical knowledge, allowing detailed studies of subjects like far-flung planets and black holes.

Funding allocated in Budget 2018 will now allow us to join the ESO, following a long campaign by the astronomy and astrophysics communities. According to the the Institute of Physics, “membership will now allow physicists here to work with other scientists worldwide to understand our universe, and bring the fruit of that research back to Ireland”.

That makes our participation in the European Southern Observatory an Extremely Big Deal — or EBD for short.