How to build one of Earth's largest telescopes

Huge telescopes dot mountainsides around the world. 

From Hawaii to Chile, scientists seek out the perfect site with fair weather and dark, clear skies to peer deeply into space, clocking the movements of distant stars, planets, and other objects far beyond what we can see with the naked eye.

A new observatory called the Giant Magellan Telescope, currently being built in Chile, should eventually be able to see far-off alien worlds and even take a look at their atmospheres. 

But right now, the project is in a critical phase. Read more...