UdeM and Canada now at the heart of the world’s largest telescope with the ANDES instrument

A team led by the Université de Montréal, the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic (OMM), and the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (IREx) in partnership with the University of British Columbia (UBC) has been awarded nearly $11.3M from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), $5.7 million from the Quebec Ministry of Higher Education, $3.8 million from the Government of Ontario and $1.8 million (pending approval) from the Government of British Columbia. to support Canada’s contribution to the ANDES instrument on the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), currently under construction in Chile. This funding, which is the sixth largest grant awarded in the 2026 CFI competition, will secure a major Canadian role in what will soon be the most powerful optical and infrared telescope ever built. The Government of Quebec, through the Ministry of Higher Education, has also provided the same amount as that granted by the FCI to Quebec’s universities, in order to support Quebec’s excellence in astrophysics.

At 39 metres in diameter, the ELT will be the first of a new class of “giant telescopes,” capable of observing the Universe in unprecedented detail. With first light expected later this decade, it will open a new window onto everything from nearby exoplanets to the most distant galaxies.

A once-in-a-generation opportunity for Canada

Canada is not currently a member of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the organisation building and operating the ELT. However, through this investment in ANDES, Canadian astronomers will gain guaranteed access to the telescope, something that would otherwise not be possible.

“This is a transformative moment for Canadian astronomy, propelling Canada into a leading role in what may become the most powerful ground-based telescope ever built,” says René Doyon, Director of the OMM and IREx, Professor at UdeM and co-PI of the Canadian contribution to ANDES.

For decades, access to a very large optical telescope has been identified as a top priority for Canada, including in the Canadian Astronomical Society’s Long Range Plan for the 2020s. With delays affecting other international projects, the ELT represents the only near-term pathway for Canadian scientists to participate in this new era of discovery. Without this contribution, Canadian researchers risk being excluded from some of the most important astronomical observations of the next decade.

ANDES: a powerhouse instrument for discovery

The Canadian funding will support the development of key components of ANDES (ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph), one of the ELT’s instruments. ANDES will combine extreme sensitivity with high spectral resolution, allowing astronomers to study the Universe in entirely new ways. It will operate across visible and infrared wavelengths and is designed to tackle some of the biggest questions in astrophysics, from the origins of the elements to the evolution of galaxies.

“ANDES will enable an unprecedentedly deep view into the cosmic dawn epoch,” adds Allison Man, Assistant Professor at UBC and co-PI of the Canadian contribution to ANDES. “We will answer fundamental questions about the origin of chemical elements and learn how the first stars and active black holes lit up the Universe.”

An artistic impression of the computer model of the ELT instrument ANDES. (Credit: ESO)

One of its most exciting capabilities lies closer to home. ANDES will be the first instrument capable of directly searching for signs of life in the atmospheres of nearby Earth-like planets orbiting Sun-like stars, a long-standing goal in astronomy and what is often considered the Holy Grail of exoplanetary science. By combining high-dispersion spectroscopy with advanced imaging techniques, it will be able to detect molecules such as water, oxygen, methane, and carbon dioxide on these exoplanets beyond our Solar System.

“This is the kind of instrument that could answer one of humanity’s oldest questions: are we alone in the Universe?” says Frédérique Baron, Project Manager for the Canadian ANDES team. “Canada’s contribution provides key components of the instrument and the data analysis pipeline, positioning our team to play a central role in transforming raw observations into robust detections of atmospheric molecules on nearby Earth-like planets.”

Built on Canadian expertise

The Canadian contribution to ANDES builds directly on decades of leadership in astronomical instrumentation. Teams at the OMM and its Experimental Astrophysics Laboratory (LAE) have played key roles in developing world-class instruments such as SPIRou on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, NIRPS on the 3.-6m ESO Telescope in La Silla, Chile, and Canada’s NIRISS instrument aboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

This expertise was critical in securing the CFI funding and positioning Canada as a major partner in the international ANDES consortium. The project will be led from Montréal but involves collaborators across the country, making it a truly pan-Canadian effort spanning universities and research institutes.

Science, technology, and impact beyond astronomy

Beyond its scientific goals, the project will have wide-reaching benefits for Canada. Nearly half of the funding will support highly qualified personnel and partnerships with Canadian industry, driving innovation in areas such as optics, photonics, detectors, and data science. These technologies often find applications far beyond astronomy, from medical imaging to communications and environmental monitoring.

At the same time, the project will train the next generation of scientists and engineers, helping to address Canada’s growing need for STEM expertise. It will also bring Canadians along for the ride. Discoveries from ANDES will be translated into classroom activities and educational content developed by the project team, connecting students in Canada and Chile directly to the science unfolding at the ELT. By turning real observations of distant worlds into hands-on learning experiences, the project will spark curiosity, encourage questions, and give young people a tangible connection to cutting-edge research.

The development of ANDES is already underway, with Canada’s contribution now officially secured through this CFI investment. As a second-generation instrument, it is expected to see first light in the next decade, a few years after the ELT is operational.

For more information

– Université de Montréal Press Release
– University of British Columbia Press Release
– McGill University Press Release
– University of Toronto Press Release
– CFI 2026 Competition Results
– ESO ANDES Instrument Page
– ANDES Consortium Website

Scientific Contacts

René Doyon
Director
Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets and Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic
Université de Montréal
rene.doyon@umontreal.ca
Tel: 514-349-5779

Frédérique Baron
Canadian ANDES Project Manager
Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic
Université de Montréal
frederique.baron@umontreal.ca
Tel: 514-277-2858

Media Contact

Nathalie Ouellette
Deputy Director
Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets and Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic
Université de Montréal
nathalie@astro.umontreal.ca
Tel: 613 531-1762