List of the largest optical telescopes in North America

List of the largest optical telescopes in the contiguous United States ranks telescopes of North America, a continent in the northern hemisphere of Earth.

The Yerkes Great refractor mounted at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago

21st century

For now 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)10 m394″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
Lowell Discovery Telescope[2]4.3 m169″SingleUSALowell Observatory, Happy Jack, Arizona2012
Nicholas U. Mayall 4m[3]4 m158 inchSingleUSAKitt 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

Refractors

Some of the big traditional refractors (telescope with lens) in North America:

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]
Leander McCormick ObservatoryCharlottesville, Virginia, USA66 cm (26" )9.9 m1884completed c. 1874, installed 1884
U.S. Naval ObservatoryFoggy Bottom Washington, DC, USA
moved to Northwest, Washington, D.C., 1893
66 cm (26")9.9 m1873Largest refractor in 1873. Alvan Clark & Sons mounting replaced with Warner & Swasey mounting in 1893.
Sproul ObservatoryPennsylvania, USA61 cm (24″)11.0 m (36 ft)1911Currently under restoration to be re-installed in Northwest Arkansas[9]
Lowell ObservatoryArizona, USA61 cm (24″)9.75 m (32 ft)1894Alvan Clark & Sons telescope

Biggest telescopes in 1950

Optical telescopes only

Name /
Observatory
Image
Out
Image
In
Aperture First
Light
Nation
Hale Telescope
Palomar Obs.
200-inch
508 cm
1949  USA
Hooker Telescope
Mount Wilson Obs.
100 inch
254 cm
1917  USA
McDonald Obs. 82 inch
i.e. Otto Struve Telescope
82 inch
208 cm
1939  USA
David Dunlap Observatory 74 inch
188 cm
1935  Canada
Plaskett telescope
Dominion Astrophysical Obs.
72 inch
182 cm
1918  Canada
69-inch Perkins Telescope[10]
Perkins Observatory
69 inch
175 cm
1931–1964 USA
Wyeth 61" reflector[11]
Oak Ridge Observatory
61 inch
155 cm
1933-2005[12] USA
60 inch Hale
Mount Wilson Observatory
60 inch
152.4 cm
1908 USA

Biggest telescopes in 1900

Name/Observatory Aperture
cm (in)
Type Location then (Original Site) Extant*
Yerkes Observatory[6]102 cm (40″)achromatWilliams Bay, Wisconsin, USA1897
James Lick telescope, Lick Observatory91 cm (36″)achromatMount Hamilton, California, USA1888
Crossley Reflector[13]91.4 cm(36″)reflector – glassLick Observatory, USA1896
Harvard College Observatory71 cm (28″)reflectorUnited States1889[14]
McCormick Observatory67 cm (26.37")achromatCharlottesville, Virginia, USA1883
U.S. Naval Observatory66 cm (26")achromatWashington, DC, USA1873
Lowell Observatory61 cm (24″)achromatArizona, USA1896
Halstead Observatory58.4 cm (23″)achromatPrinceton, USA1881
Chamberlin Observatory50 cm (20″)achromatColorado, USA1891
18½-in Dearborn Observatory Refractor47 cm (18.5″)achromatChicago (1862–1893), Evanston, Illinois (1893), USA1862
Flower Observatory46 cm (18″)achromatPhiladelphia, USA1896
Harvard Great Refractor, Harvard College Observatory[15]38 cm (15″)achromatCambridge, Massachusetts, USA1847
Wellesley College Whitin Observatory 12-inch Fitz
Jacob Campbell's 12 inch refractor[16]
30 cm (12″)achromatMassachusetts, USA
New York, USA
1900
1852
University of Illinois Observatory30 cm (12″)achromatUrbana, Illinois, USA1896
Merz und Mahler (Mitchell cupola), Cincinnati Observatory28 cm (11″)achromatCincinnati, Ohio, USA1843
Fraunhofer Refractor, United States Naval Observatory (Foggy Bottom)24.4 cm (9.6″)achromatFoggy Bottom, D.C., USA1844 [17]
Wesleyan University 6-inch Lerebours refractor[18]15.24 cm (6″)achromatConnecticut1836 [19] [20]
Utzschneider & Fraunhofer Comet Seeker[21]10.2 cm (4″)acrhomatFoggy Bottom, D.C., USA1843

Biggest telescopes in 1850

Some of the largest at observatories:

Name/Observatory Aperture
cm (in)
Type Location then (Original Site) Extant*
Harvard Great Refractor, Harvard College Observatory[15]38 cm (15″)achromatCambridge, Massachusetts, USA1847
Merz und Mahler (Mitchell cupola), Cincinnati Observatory28 cm (11″)achromatCincinnati, Ohio, USA1843
West Point Observatory 9.75 inch Fitz equatorial24.77 cm (9.75″)achromatWest Point, USA1839 [22]
Fraunhofer Refractor, United States Naval Observatory (Foggy Bottom)24.4 cm (9.6″)achromatFoggy Bottom, D.C., USA1844 [17]
Wesleyan University 6-inch Lerebours refractor[23]15.24 cm (6″)achromatConnecticut1836
Yale Dollond 5-inch, Yale College Observatory12.7 cm (5″)achromatNew Haven, Connecticut1828[22]
Utzschneider & Fraunhofer Comet Seeker[21]10.2 cm (4″)acrhomatFoggy Bottom, D.C., USA1843

See also

References

  1. Day, Dwayne (2009-05-11). "Mirrors in the dark". The Space Review. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
  2. "Lowell Observatory - DCT status". Archived from the original on September 2, 2012.
  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. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-02-25. Retrieved 2012-05-29.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Yerkes Observatory". Encyclopedia Britannica.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2009-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. Large telescope moves to Northwest Arkansas to further STEM recruitment goals
  10. "History". Perkins Observatory. 1 August 1998. Archived from the original on 28 September 2006. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-06-27. Retrieved 2010-10-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2019-10-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "Mt. Hamilton Telescopes: CrossleyTelescope". www.ucolick.org. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  14. "1914Obs....37..245H Page 250". Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  15. "Harvard College Observatory: Great Refractor". www.cfa.harvard.edu. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  16. The General History of Astronomy. Cambridge University Press. February 11, 1900. ISBN 9780521242561 via Google Books.
  17. Slipher, E. C. (1927). "Photographic and visual observations of Mars in 1926 (Abstract)". Popular Astronomy. 35: 210. Bibcode:1927PA.....35S.210S.
  18. The General History of Astronomy. Cambridge University Press. 1900. ISBN 9780521242561.
  19. Jones, Bessie Judith (Zaban); Jones, Bessie Z.; Jones, Bessie Zaban; Boyd, Lyle Gifford (1971). The Harvard College Observatory: The First Four Directorships, 1839-1919. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674374607.
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