List of largest optical telescopes historically

Telescopes have grown in size since they first appeared around 1608. The following tables list the increase in size over the years. Different technologies can and have been used to build telescopes, which are used to magnify distant views especially in astronomy.

People flock to the new David Dunlap Observatory in the 1930s, the second largest reflecting telescope in the world a going by a mirror diameter of 74 inches (about 1.9 meters) at that time.

By overall aperture

The following is a list of largest single mount optical telescopes sorted by total objective diameter (aperture), including segmented and multi-mirror configurations. It is a historical list, with the instruments listed in chronological succession by objective size. By itself, the diameter of the primary optics can be a poor measure of a telescope's historical or scientific significance; for example, William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse's 72-inch (1.8 m) reflecting telescope did not perform as well (i.e. gather as much light) as the smaller silvered glass mirror telescopes that succeeded it because of the poor performance of its speculum metal mirror.

Optical Telescopes (List by Overall Aperture)
NameApertureTypeBuilt byLocationYear
MeterInch
Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC)10.4 m409″Reflector – Segmented,36Spain (90%), Mexico, USAORM, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain2009
Keck 110 m394″Reflector – Segmented,36USAMauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii1993
BTA-66 m238″ReflectorSoviet UnionZelenchukskaya, Caucasus1976
Hale Telescope5.08 m200″ReflectorUSAPalomar Observatory, California1948
Hooker Telescope2.54 m100″ReflectorUSAMt. Wilson Observatory; California1917
Leviathan of Parsonstown1.83 m72″Reflector – metal mirrorWilliam ParsonsBirr Castle; Ireland1845
Herschel's 40-foot telescope [1]1.26 m49.5″Reflector – metal mirrorWilliam HerschelObservatory House; England1789–1815
John Michell's Gregorian reflector [2]75 cm29.5″Reflector - GregorianJohn MichellYorkshire, Great Britain1780–1789
Father Noel's Gregorian reflector [2]60 cm23.5″Reflector – GregorianFather NoelParis, France1761
James Short's Gregorian reflector50 cm19.5"Reflector – GregorianJames ShortGreat Britain1750
James Short's Gregorian reflector38 cm14″Reflector – GregorianJames ShortGreat Britain1734
Christiaan Huygens 210 foot refractor  22 cm8.5"Refractor – Aerial telescopeChristiaan HuygensNetherlands1686
Christiaan Huygens 170 foot refractor20 cm8"Refractor – Aerial telescopeChristiaan HuygensNetherlands1686
Christiaan Huygens 210 foot refractor19 cm7.5"Refractor – Aerial telescopeChristiaan HuygensNetherlands1686
Hooke's reflector [3]18 cm7″ReflectorRobert HookeGreat Britain16??
Hevelius refractor12 cm4.7″RefractorJohannes HeveliusGdańsk, Poland1645
Hevelius Scheiner's helioscope6 cm2.3″RefractorJohannes HeveliusGdańsk, Poland1638
Galileo's 1620 telescope [4]3.8 cm1.5″RefractorGalileo GalileiItaly1620
Galileo's 1612 telescope [4]2.6 cm1″RefractorGalileo GalileiItaly1612
Galileo's 1609 telescope [4]1.5 cm.62″RefractorGalileo GalileiItaly1609
Hans Lippershey's telescope? cm.?″RefractorHans LippersheyMiddelburg, the Netherlands1608

By historical significance

Chronological list of optical telescopes by historical significance, which reflects the overall technological progression and not only the primary mirror's diameter (as shown in table above).

Legend

  Segmented Mirror (Mosaic) Glass Reflector
  Glass Reflector (Metal coating on glass mirror)
  Reflector (Metal mirror)
  Refractor (Lens) or other

Optical Telescopes (List by Historical Significance)
NameApertureTypeSignificanceLocationYear
MeterInch
Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC)10.4 m409″Reflector – Segmented,36World's largest 2009ORM, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain2009
Large Binocular Telescope (LBT)8.4 m x 2
(22.8 m LBTI)[5]
464.5″glass mirror reflector – Multi-mirror (2)World's largest 2008 with Beam CombinerMount Graham International Observatory, Arizona
Hobby-Eberly Telescope9.2 m362″Reflector – Segmented,91First HETMcDonald Observatory, USA1997
Keck 110 m394″Reflector – Segmented,36World's largest 1993Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii1993
Hubble (HST)2.4 m94″glass mirror reflectorLargest Visible-light space based telescopeLow Earth orbit NASA+ESA1990
BTA-66 m238″glass mirror reflectorWorld's largest 1976Zelenchukskaya, Caucasus1976
McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope1.61 m63″glass mirror reflectorLargest solar telescopeKitt Peak National Obs., USA1962
Hale Telescope (200 inch)5.08 m200″glass mirror reflectorWorld's largest 1948Palomar Observatory, California1948
Samuel Oschin telescope1.22 m48″glass mirror reflector – Schmidt cameraWorld's largest Schmidt camera 1948Palomar Observatory; California1948
George Ritchey 40-inch (1 m)[6]102 cm40″glass mirror reflectorFirst large Ritchey-ChrétienFlagstaff, Arizona (Washington, D.C. until 1955)1934
Plaskett telescope[7]1.83 m72″glass mirror reflectordesigned as world's largest but beaten by the 100-inch Hooker telescopeDominion Astrophysical Observatory, Canada1918
Hooker Telescope2.54 m100″glass mirror reflectorWorld's largest 1917Mt. Wilson Observatory; California1917
Hale 60-Inch Telescope1.524 m60″glass mirror reflectorthe first of the "modern" large research reflectors, designed and located for precision imaging.[8][9]Mt. Wilson Observatory; California1908
Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900125 cm49.21"refractor – achromatlargest refractor ever built, scrapped after Exhibition.Exposition Universelle (1900)1900–1901
A.A. Common's 60-inch Ealing reflector[10]1.524 m60″glass mirror reflectorWorld's largest glass mirror reflector 1889, sold to Harvard 1904, moved to South Africa 1920s (Boyden Observatory) where it was largest telescope in the southern hemisphere.Ealing, Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Observatory1889
Yerkes Refractor102 cm40″refractor – achromatlargest operational refractorYerkes Observatory, USA1897
A.A. Common's 36 inch Ealing reflector91.4 cm36″glass mirror reflectorFirst to prove fainter than naked eye astrophotography,[11] sold, became Crossley ReflectorA.A. Common Reflector, Britain / Lick Observatory, USA1879
Great Melbourne Telescope[12]1.22 m48″speculum metal mirror reflectorLast large reflector with a speculum metal mirror, world's largest equatorially mounted telescope for several decades.[13]Melbourne Observatory, Australia1868–1889
William Lassell 48-inch[14]1.22 m48″speculum metal mirror reflectorMalta1861–1865
Rosse telescope: Leviathan of Parsonstown1.83 m72″metal – speculum metal mirror reflectorWorld's largest 1845Birr Castle; Ireland1845–1908
William Lassell 24-inch[15]61 cm24″speculum metal mirror reflectorLiverpool, England1845
Great Dorpat Refractor (Fraunhofer)
Dorpat/Tartu Observatory		24 cm9.6″refractor – achromat"..the first modern, achromatic, refracting telescope."[16][17]Dorpat, Governorate of Estonia1824
Rosse 36-inch Telescope91.4 cm36″speculum metal mirror reflectorBirr Castle; Ireland1826
Herschel 40-foot (126 cm d.)[1]1.26 m49.5″speculum metal mirror reflectorWorld's largest 1789Observatory House; England1789–1815
Herschel 20-foot (47.5 cm d.)[18][19]47.5 cm18.5″speculum metal mirror reflectorObservatory House; England1782
Rev John Michell's Gregorian reflector[2]75 cm29.5″speculum metal mirror – Gregorian reflectorWorld's largest 1780Yorkshire, Great Britain1780–1789
Dollond Apochromatic Triplet[20]9.53 cm3.75″Refractor – apochromatFirst apochromatic tripletEngland1763[20]
Father Noel's Gregorian reflector[2]60 cm23.5″speculum metal mirror – Gregorian reflectorWorld's largest 1761Paris, France1761
James Short's Gregorian reflector50 cm19.5"speculum metal mirror – Gregorian reflectorWorld's largest 1750Great Britain1750
James Short's Gregorian reflector38 cm14″speculum metal mirror – Gregorian reflectorWorld's largest 1734Great Britain1734
Chester Moore Hall's Doublet[21]6.4 cm2.5"Refractor – achromatFirst achromatic doubletGreat Britain1733
Hadley's Reflector[22]15 cm6″speculum metal mirror reflectorFirst parabolic newtonianGreat Britain1721
Christiaan Huygens 210 foot refractor22 cm8.5"Refractor – Aerial telescopeWorld's largest 1686Netherlands1686
Christiaan Huygens 170 foot refractor20 cm8"Refractor – Aerial telescopeWorld's largest 1689Netherlands1686
Christiaan Huygens 210 foot refractor19 cm7.5"Refractor – Aerial telescopeWorld's largest 1686Netherlands1686
Hooke's reflector[3]18 cm7″speculum metal mirror – Gregorian reflectorFirst GregorianGreat Britain1674[23]
Newton's Reflector[24]3.3 cm1.3″speculum metal mirror reflectorFirst reflecting telescopeEngland (mobile)1668
Hevelius refractor12 cm4.7″RefractorWorld's largest 1645Gdańsk (Danzig), Poland1645
Hevelius Scheiner's helioscope6 cm2.3″RefractorWorld's largest 1638 & First Equatorial[21]Gdańsk (Danzig), Poland1638
Galileo's 1620 telescope3.8 cm[4]1.5″RefractorWorld's largest 1638Italy1638
Galileo's 1612 telescope2.6 cm[4]1″RefractorWorld's largest 1612Italy1612
Galileo's 1609 telescope1.5 cm[4].62″RefractorWorld's largest 1609Italy1609
Hans Lippershey's telescope? cm.?″RefractorWorld's first recorded telescopeNetherlands1608

See also

References
  1. "Original mirror for William Herschel's 40 foot telescope, 1785". Science & Society Picture Library. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
  2. Henry C. King (1955). The History of the Telescope. Courier Corporation. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-486-43265-6.
  3. Henry C. King (1955). The History of the Telescope. Courier Corporation. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-486-43265-6.
  4. Note: Diameter of cardboard objective stop Dupré, S. (2003). "Galileo's telescope and celestial light SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)". Journal for the History of Astronomy. 34 (Part 4, No. 117): 369–399. Bibcode:2003JHA....34..369D. ISSN 0021-8286.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2013-07-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=17931
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-02-09. Retrieved 2010-01-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "mwoa.org – Observing with the 60-inch Telescope at Mount Wilson". Archived from the original on 2011-08-07. Retrieved 2011-08-07.
  9. mtwilson.edu-Building the 60-inch Telescope Article by Mike Simmons written in 1984 (and updated in 2008) for the Mount Wilson Observatory Association Archived 2013-08-05 at the Wayback Machine
  10. New York Times "NEW HARVARD TELESCOPE.; Sixty-Inch Reflector, Biggest in the World, Being Set Up. "April 6, 1905, Thursday Page 9
  11. http://www.ucolick.org/public/telescopes/crossley.html
  12. http://stjarnhimlen.se/bigtel/LargestTelescope.html
  13. sciencephoto.com, Great Melbourne Telescope, Casting a telescope mirror, 1866
  14. http://www.mikeoates.org/lassell/lassell_by_a_chapman.htm
  15. http://www.mikeoates.org/lassell/telescope.htm
  16. Fraunhofer and the Great Dorpat Refractor, Waaland, J. Robert, American Journal of Physics, Volume 35, Issue 4, pp. 344–350 (1967)
  17. http://www.obs.ee/obs/instrumendid/fr.htm
  18. http://www.maa.clell.de/Messier/E/Xtra/Bios/wherschel.html
  19. http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal111/universe/etu_a_herschel.htm
  20. http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/gif/1948PA.....56...75K/0000083.000.html Title: The invention and early development of the achromatic telescope, Authors: King, H. C., Journal: Popular Astronomy, Vol. 56, p.75, Bibliographic Code: 1948PA.....56...75K, Page 83
  21. Paul Schlyter, Largest optical telescopes of the world
  22. http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations//groundup/lesson/scopes/hadley/index.php
  23. Gérard René Lemaitre (2008). Astronomical Optics and Elasticity Theory: Active Optics Methods. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 17. ISBN 978-3-540-68905-8.
  24. A. Rupert Hall (1996). Isaac Newton: Adventurer in Thought. Cambridge University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-521-56669-8.
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