Hubble Telescope. Hawaii Telescope. Observatoire du Pic du Midi. Large Binocular Telescope Observatory. MMT Observatory. The Very Large Telescope Project. <div class="box3"><b>Did you know? </b> The smallest detail distinguishable with the VLT's adaptive optics system is smaller than the size of a DVD on the International Space Station, as seen from the ground (about 50 milliarcseconds).
</div> Did you know? The smallest detail distinguishable with the VLT's adaptive optics system is smaller than the size of a DVD on the International Space Station, as seen from the ground (about 50 milliarcseconds). Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? SALT (Southern African Large Telescope) Mauna Kea Observatories. The 4,200 meter high summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii houses the world's largest observatory for optical, infrared, and submillimeter astronomy. Move your mouse over a dome to identify a telescope Click on the dome to go to its website Subaru Telescope 8.3-meter diameter optical/IR telescope operated by Japan Subaru website UH Hilo Educational telescope The first telescope on the mountain, a 0.6m diameter reflector, was placed on this site in 1969.
UH-Hilo Educational Telescope website Gemini Telescope An 8.1-meter optical/IR telescope operated by a consortium of seven countries. Gemini Telescope website Submillimeter Array Eight 6-meter submillimeter antennas operated by Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Taiwan SMA website James Clerk Maxwell Telescope 15-meter diameter telescope for submillimeter astronomy operated by the UK, Netherlands and Canada JCMT website Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope 3.6-meter optical telescope operated by Canada, France, and Hawaii CFHT website IRTF website W.
Keck website. Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Hobby-Eberly Telescope The HET is one of the world's largest optical telescopes, with an effective aperture of 9.2 meters and a 78 square meter, hexagonal mirror array made from 91 segments. Its design is revolutionary. It sits at a fixed elevation angle of 55º, and rotates in azimuth to access 81% of the sky visible from McDonald Observatory (discounting the "high airmass" zone right next to the horizon which telescopes normally avoid). The HET was built for approximately 15-20% of the cost of other 9 meter class telescopes. The Primary Mirror Each of the 91 identical hexagonal segments of the primary mirror array measures 1 meter side to side and weighs about 250 lbs. Alignment Sensor Tower (CCAS or "see-cass"). Because of the precision required of large optical mirrors for quality image resolution, large telescopes of traditional design must compensate for the major distortion effects of gravity as the mirrors are moved through all tilt angles while aiming at different targets.
Subaru Telescope* Gemini Observatory. W. M. Keck Observatory.