About Us

The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of the GMTO Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and international consortium of 16 universities and research institutions from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan. Our mission is to design, build, and operate the Giant Magellan to enable cutting-edge research and scientific observations that will revolutionize humanity’s fundamental understanding of the Universe. From discovering life beyond Earth to unlocking the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, the Giant Magellan offers unique performance capabilities that no other telescope can deliver. The 25.4 meter telescope is under construction at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the best locations on Earth to explore the heavens. When completed in the 2030s, this “extremely large telescope” will be the largest public-private funded science project in history.