Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) to Revolutionize Extraterrestrial Life Search by 2028

The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), with its 39-meter diameter, is set to revolutionize the search for extraterrestrial life by 2028. Located in Chile, it will capture more light than any previous terrestrial telescope, providing images 16 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope. The ELT will analyze exoplanet atmospheres using transit spectroscopy, surpassing the sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It can detect life on an Earth-like planet around Proxima Centauri in just 10 hours. The ELT will also study non-transiting planets via reflected starlight, broadening the scope of extraterrestrial life detection and opening new avenues in cosmology.