Just reading on Astromart about the E-ELT - the European Extremely Lage Telescope, with plans to go live in 2018. It will have a 42 meter aperture - and be some 100 times more sensitive than the largest optical 'scope in the world today. If it actually gets funded and built at only 1 billion euro. I suppose its a baragain, financial crisis, what financial crisis? It is expected to study planets around other stars etc etc. Well worth just looking at the artists impression and seeing the scale with people on the ground. Now I know how an ant feels when it looks at my Meade 12inch LX200R.
http://www.astromart.com/
PeterM