List of largest optical telescopes in the continental United States

List largest optical telescopes in the continental United States ranks optical telescopes located in the Continental United States by aperture.

Name Image Effective aperture
m 		Aper.
in 		Mirror type Nationality / Sponsors Site Built
Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) 11.9 m (8.4 m×2) 330″×2 Multiple mirror, 2 USA, Italy, Germany Mount Graham International Obs., Arizona, USA 2004
Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) (11 m × 9.8 m mirror) 9.2 m 362″ Segmented, 91 USA, Germany McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA 1997
MMT (1 x 6.5 M1) 6.5 m 256″ Single USA F. L. Whipple Obs., Arizona, USA 2000
Hale Telescope (200 inch) 5.08 m 200″ Single USA Palomar Observatory, California, USA 1948
MMT (6×1.8 m) original optics 4.7 m
(6×1.8 m) [1] 		186″ Segmented, 6 USA F. L. Whipple Obs., Arizona, USA 1979–1998
Discovery Channel Telescope[2] 4.3 m 169″ Single USA Lowell Observatory, Happy Jack, Arizona 2012
Nicholas U. Mayall 4m[3] 4 m 149.5″ Single USA Kitt Peak National Obs., Arizona, USA 1973
USAF Starfire 3.5 m [4] 3.5 m 138″ Single USA Starfire Optical Range, New Mexico, USA 1994
WIYN Telescope 3.5 m 138″ Single USA Kitt Peak National Obs., Arizona, USA 1994
Space Surveillance Telescope 3.5 m 138″ Single USA White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, USA 2011
Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) 3.48 m 137″ Single USA Apache Point Obs., New Mexico, USA 1994
Shane Telescope 3.05 m 120″ Single USA Lick Observatory, California, USA 1959
NASA-LMT[5] retired 3 m 118″ Liquid USA NASA Orbital Debris Obs., New Mexico, USA 1995–2002
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, USA 102 cm (40″) 19.4 m (62′) 1897 Largest in current operation.[7]
James Lick telescope
Lick Observatory 		Mount Hamilton, California, USA 91 cm (36″) 17.6 m 1888  
William Thaw Telescope
Allegheny Observatory 		Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA 76 cm (30″) 14.1 m 1914 Brashear 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
  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. ↑ http://www.flamsteed.info/fasother6_files/page0001.htm
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