List of the largest optical telescopes in the contiguous United States

List of the largest optical telescopes in the contiguous United States ranks optical telescopes located in the contiguous United States by aperture.

NameImageEffective aperture
m		Aper.
in		Mirror typeNationality / SponsorsSiteBuilt
Large Binocular Telescope (LBT)11.9 m (8.4 m×2)330″×2Multiple mirror, 2USA, Italy, GermanyMount Graham International Obs., Arizona, USA2004
Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) (11 m × 9.8 m mirror)9.2 m362″Segmented, 91USA, GermanyMcDonald Observatory, Texas, USA1997
MMT (1 x 6.5 M1)6.5 m256″SingleUSAF. L. Whipple Obs., Arizona, USA2000
Hale Telescope (200 inch)5.08 m200″SingleUSAPalomar Observatory, California, USA1948
MMT (6×1.8 m) original optics4.7 m
(6×1.8 m) [1]		186″Segmented, 6USAF. L. Whipple Obs., Arizona, USA1979–1998
Discovery Channel Telescope[2]4.3 m169″SingleUSALowell Observatory, Happy Jack, Arizona2012
Nicholas U. Mayall 4m[3]4 m149.5″SingleUSAKitt Peak National Obs., Arizona, USA1973
USAF Starfire 3.5 m [4]3.5 m138″SingleUSAStarfire Optical Range, New Mexico, USA1994
WIYN Telescope3.5 m138″SingleUSAKitt Peak National Obs., Arizona, USA1994
Space Surveillance Telescope3.5 m138″SingleUSAWhite Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, USA2011
Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC)3.48 m137″SingleUSAApache Point Obs., New Mexico, USA1994
Shane Telescope3.05 m120″SingleUSALick Observatory, California, USA1959
NASA-LMT[5] retired3 m118″LiquidUSANASA Orbital Debris Obs., New Mexico, USA1995–2002
For telescopes below 3 meters see List of large optical telescopes

Three biggest refractors in the Continental United States:

Name/Observatory Location Lens diameter Focal length Built Comments Image
Yerkes Observatory[6]Williams Bay, Wisconsin, USA102 cm (40″)19.4 m (62′)1897Largest in current operation.[7]
James Lick telescope
Lick Observatory		Mount Hamilton, California, USA91 cm (36″)17.6 m1888 
William Thaw Telescope
Allegheny Observatory		Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA76 cm (30″)14.1 m1914Brashear made, photographic[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dwayne DayMonday, May 11, 2009 (2009-05-11). "Mirrors in the dark". The Space Review. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
  2. ↑ Lowell Observatory - DCT status Archived 2012-09-02 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ "The Mayall 4-Meter Telescope". Noao.edu. February 27, 1973. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  4. ↑ John Pike. "Starfire". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  5. ↑ "NASA Orbital Debris Observatory". Astro.ubc.ca. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  6. ↑ http://astro.uchicago.edu/vtour/40inch/
  7. ↑ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/653042/Yerkes-Observatory
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
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