Table of Reflecting Telescopes
This list is ordered by optical aperture, which has historically been a useful gauge of limiting resolution, optical area, physical size, and cost. Multiple mirror telescopes that are on the same mount, may have a working beam combiner, and can form an image are ranked by an equivalent aperture to this reported by sources. HET-style or fixed telescopes are ranked by an equivalent aperture also.
| 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 | |
| Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) | 10.4 m | 410″ | Segmented, 36 | Spain (90%), Mexico, USA | Roque de los Muchachos Obs., Canary Islands, Spain | 2006/9 | |
| Keck 1 | 10 m | 400″ | Segmented, 36 | USA | Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii, USA | 1993 | |
| Keck 2 | 10 m | 400″ | Segmented, 36 | USA | Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii, USA | 1996 | |
| Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) (11 m × 9.8 m mirror) | 9.2 m | 362″ | Segmented, 91 | South Africa, USA, UK, Germany, Poland, New Zealand | South African Astronomical Obs., Northern Cape, South Africa | 2005 | |
| Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) (11 m × 9.8 m mirror) | 9.2 m | 362″ | Segmented, 91 | USA, Germany | McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA | 1997 | |
| Subaru (JNLT) | 8.2 m | 323″ | Single | Japan | Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii, USA | 1999 | |
| VLT UT1 (Antu) | 8.2 m | 323″ | Single | ESO Countries, Chile | Paranal Observatory, Antofagasta Region, Chile | 1998 | |
| VLT UT2 (Kueyen) | 8.2 m | 323″ | Single | ESO Countries, Chile | Paranal Observatory, Antofagasta Region, Chile | 1999 | |
| VLT UT3 (Melipal) | 8.2 m | 323″ | Single | ESO Countries, Chile | Paranal Observatory, Antofagasta Region, Chile | 2000 | |
| VLT UT4 (Yepun) | 8.2 m | 323″ | Single | ESO Countries, Chile | Paranal Observatory, Antofagasta Region, Chile | 2001 | |
| Gemini North (Gillett) | 8.1 m | 318″ | Single | USA, UK, Canada, Chile, Australia, Argentina, Brazil | Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii, USA | 1999 | |
| Gemini South | 8.1 m | 318″ | Single | USA, UK, Canada, Chile, Australia, Argentina, Brazil | Cerro Pachón (CTIO), Coquimbo Region, Chile | 2001 | |
| MMT (1 x 6.5 M1) | 6.5 m | 256″ | Single | USA | F. L. Whipple Obs., Arizona, USA | 2000 | |
| Magellan 1 (Walter Baade) | 6.5 m | 256″ | Honeycomb | USA | Las Campanas Obs., Coquimbo Region, Chile | 2000 | |
| Magellan 2 (Landon Clay) | 6.5 m | 256″ | Honeycomb | USA | Las Campanas Obs., Coquimbo Region, Chile | 2002 | |
| BTA-6 | 6 m | 238″ | Single | USSR/Russia | Special Astrophysical Obs., Karachay–Cherkessia, Russia | 1975 | |
| Large Zenith Telescope (LZT) | 6 m | 236″ | Liquid | Canada, France, USA | Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada | 2003 | |
| Hale Telescope (200 inch) | 5.08 m | 200″ | Single | USA | Palomar Observatory, California, USA | 1948 | |
| LAMOST (6.67 m × 6.05 m + 5.72 m × 4.40 m corrector; effective aperture 3.6–4.9 m) | 4.9 m–3.6 m | 193″ | Segmented (37 + 24) |
PRC (China) | Beijing Astronomical Obs., Xinglong, China | 2008 | |
| MMT (6×1.8 m) original optics | 4.7 m (6×1.8 m) |
186″ | Segmented, 6 | USA | F. L. Whipple Obs., Arizona, USA | 1979–1998 | |
| Discovery Channel Telescope | 4.3 m | 169″ | Single | USA | Lowell Observatory, Happy Jack, Arizona | 2012 | |
| William Herschel Telescope | 4.2 m | 165″ | Single | UK, Netherlands, Spain | Roque de los Muchachos Obs., Canary Islands, Spain | 1987 | |
| SOAR | 4.1 m | 161″ | Single | USA, Brazil | Cerro Pachón (CTIO), Coquimbo Region, Chile | 2002 | |
| VISTA | 4.1 m | 161″ | Single | ESO Countries, Chile | Paranal Observatory, Antofagasta Region, Chile | 2009 | |
| Victor M. Blanco Telescope | 4 m | 157″ | Single | USA | Cerro Tololo Inter-American Obs., Coquimbo Region, Chile | 1976 | |
| Nicholas U. Mayall 4m | 4 m | 149.5″ | Single | USA | Kitt Peak National Obs., Arizona, USA | 1973 | |
| Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) | 3.89 m | 154″ | Single | Australia, UK | Australian Astronomical Obs., New South Wales, Australia | 1975 | |
| 3.67m AEOS Telescope (AEOS) | 3.67 m | 145″ | Single | USA | Air Force Maui Optical Station, Hawaii, USA | 1996 | |
| Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) | 3.58 m | 138″ | Single | Italy | Roque de los Muchachos Obs., Canary Islands, Spain | 1997 | |
| New Technology Telescope (NTT) | 3.58 m | 142″ | Single | ESO countries | La Silla Observatory, Coquimbo Region, Chile | 1989 | |
| Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) | 3.58 m | 141″ | Single | Canada, France, USA | Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii, USA | 1979 | |
| ESO 3.6 m Telescope | 3.57 m | 140″ | Single | ESO countries | La Silla Observatory, Coquimbo Region, Chile | 1977 | |
| MPI-CAHA 3.5 m | 3.5 m | 138″ | Single | West Germany, Spain | Calar Alto Obs., Almería, Spain | 1984 | |
| USAF Starfire 3.5 m | 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 Infrared Telescope Facility | 3.0 m | 120″ | Single | USA | Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii, USA | 1979 | |
| NASA-LMT retired | 3 m | 118″ | Liquid | USA | NASA Orbital Debris Obs., New Mexico, USA | 1995–2002 | |
| See List of large optical reflecting telescopes for continuation of list | |||||||
There are only a few sites capable of polishing the mirrors for these telescopes. SAGEM in France polished the four VLT mirrors, the two Gemini mirrors, and the 36 segments for GTC. The Steward Observatory Mirror Lab cast and polished the two LBT mirrors, the two Magellan mirrors and the MMT replacement mirror. It is currently making the LSST primary mirror and the mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope. The Keck segments were made by Schott AG. The SALT and LAMOST segments were cast and polished by LZOS. The mirror for Subaru was cast by Corning and polished at Contraves Brashear Systems in Pennsylvania.
This table does not include all the largest mirrors manufactured. The Steward Observatory Mirror Lab produced the 6.5-metre f/1.25 collimator used in the Large Optical Test and Integration Site of Lockheed Martin, used for vacuum optical testing of other telescopes.
Segmented mirrors are also referred to as mosaic mirrors. Single mirrors are also referred to monolithic mirrors, and can be sub-categorized in types, such as solid or honeycomb.
Read more about this topic: List Of Largest Optical Reflecting Telescopes
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