Europe to Build World's Biggest Telescope

A coalition of 15 European countries, including Britain, has announced plans to build the biggest telescope in the world.

The mirror inside the telescope will measure 39 meters across — four times wider than today's biggest telescope — and it will be so powerful that astronomers will even be able to observe dark, rocky planets far beyond our solar system.

The European Southern Observatory project is supported by 15 members of the European Union. The twin infrared/optical telescope will sit on top of a 3,060 meter mountaintop in Chile, giving unparalleled views of the sky above, and should come online in 2022.

Astronomers hope the observatory will help provide insights into the formation of galleries and the nature of black holes.

The project will cost 872 million pounds.