The world's largest telescope has been fitted with a protective dome.

New images, published by experts from the European Southern Observatory (ESO), reveal that the dome frame is already complete, while the outer shell, which will fully enclose the telescope, is still under construction.

The outer part of the frame will soon be fitted with aluminum plates that will protect the telescope from the extreme conditions in the Atacama, including sharp temperature fluctuations.

The dome has a diameter of 93 meters and a height of 80 meters. It will be capable of rotating 360 degrees, and inside it will house a 39-meter primary mirror of the ELT, made up of 798 individual hexagonal segments with a total area of 978 square meters. With this, the ELT will be able to capture direct images of exoplanets.

The new telescope is expected to see first light by 2028.