Reflecting Telescopes Under Construction
Clear Telescope Name Observatory Location Date of M1 Mirror Mirror Aspect Mirror Mirror Mounting Mounting Mass Aperture Area Baseline Ref. Web Address
Aperture (meters)       Operation F# Material Type Ratio Blank By Polish By Type Made By metric tons equiv. meters sq. meters Cost    
6.5 Magellan II - Landon Clay Las Campanas Observatory Cerro Manqui, Chile 2002 1.25 E6 Honeycomb 9 SOML-UA SOML-UA Alt-Az L&F 150 6.44 32.6     http://www.ociw.edu/~johns/magellan.html
2 x 8.408 LBT - Large Binocular Telescope Mt. Graham International Observatory Mt. Graham, Arizona 2004 1.14 E6 Honeycomb 9.4 SOML-UA SOML-UA Alt-Az Ansaldo Energia 530 11.82 109.7     http://medusa.as.arizona.edu/lbtwww/
6 LZT - Large Zenith Telescope University of British Colombia Vancouver, Canada 2002 1.5 Mercury Liquid   U. Laval gravity Transit             http://www.astro.ubc.ca/LMT/lzt.html
4.2 SOAR - Southern Observatory for Astrophysical Research Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Cerro Pachon, Chile 2002 1.75 ULE Meniscus 42 Corning Raytheon Alt-Az Vertex RSI           http://www.ctio.noao.edu/soar/index.html
10 hexagonal GTC - Gran Telescopio Canarias Obs. Roque de los Muchachos La Palma, Canary Islands 2004 1.65 Zerodur Segmented   Schott SAGEM Alt-Az Schwarz-Hautmont   10.36 84.2     http://www.gtc.iac.es/
7 hexagonal TIM - Telescopio Infrarrojo Mexicano Observatorio Astronomico Nacional, San Pedro Martir San Pedro Martir, Baja California, Mexico 2005 1.5 Zerodur Segmented 24 Schott   Alt-Az             http://www.astroscu.unam.mx/
9.5 SALT - Southern African Large Telescope South Africa Astronomical Observatory Sutherland, South Africa 2004 1.8 Astrosital Segmented   LZOS Kodak Transit     9.17 66     http://www.salt.ac.za/
4 LAMOST - Schmidt Beijing Astronomical Observatory Xinglong, China 2004 5   Segmented       Meridian             http://lamost.bao.ac.cn/
3.9 VISTA - Visible Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy European Southern Observatory Cerro Paranal, Chile 2005 2 Astrosital Meniscus   LZOS   Alt-Az             http://www.vista.ac.uk/
2.61 VLT Survey Telescope European Southern Observatory Cerro Paranal, Chile 2002 1.8 Astrosital Meniscus   LZOS Zeiss Alt-Az     http://vst.na.astro.it/
                                     
Presently Operating Reflecting Telescopes
Clear Telescope Name Observatory Location Date of M1 Mirror Mirror Aspect Mirror Mirror Mounting Mounting Mass Aperture Area Baseline Ref. Web Address
Aperture (meters)       Operation F# Material Type Ratio Blank By Polish By Type Made By metric tons equiv. meters sq. meters Cost    
10 hexagonal Keck I W. M. Keck Observatory Mauna Kea, Hawaii 1992 1.75 Zerodur Segmented 24 Schott Itek/Tinsley Kodak Alt-Az Schwartz-Hautmont, TIW 273 10.55 87.5     http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu:3636/
10 hexagonal Keck II W. M. Keck Observatory Mauna Kea, Hawaii 1996 1.75 Zerodur Segmented 24 Schott Itek/Tinsley Kodak Alt-Az Coast Steel 273 10.55 87.5     http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu:3636/
9.5 Hobby-Eberle McDonald Observatory Mt. Fowlkes, Texas 1997 1.8 Zerodur Segmented 20 Schott Kodak Transit Comsat/MERO   9.17 66 $14M web http://www.as.utexas.edu/mcdonald/het/het.html
8.2 Subaru National Astronomical Observatory of Japan Mauna Kea, Hawaii 1999 1.8 ULE Meniscus 41 Corning Contraves Alt-Az Mitsubishi 500 8.2 52.8     http://www.naoj.org/
8 VLT UT1 Antu European Southern Observatory Cerro Paranal, Chile 1998 1.75 Zerodur Meniscus 46 Schott REOSC Alt-Az Ansaldo Energia 430 8 49.2     http://www.eso.org/
8 VLT UT2 Kueyen European Southern Observatory Cerro Paranal, Chile 1999 1.75 Zerodur Meniscus 46 Schott REOSC Alt-Az Ansaldo Energia 430 8 49.2     http://www.eso.org/
8 VLT UT3 Melipal European Southern Observatory Cerro Paranal, Chile 2000 1.75 Zerodur Meniscus 46 Schott REOSC Alt-Az Ansaldo Energia 430 8 49.2     http://www.eso.org/
8 VLT UT4 Yepun European Southern Observatory Cerro Paranal, Chile 2000 1.75 Zerodur Meniscus 46 Schott REOSC Alt-Az Ansaldo Energia 430 8 49.2     http://www.eso.org/
8 Gemini North Mauna Kea Observatories Mauna Kea, Hawaii 1998 1.8 ULE Meniscus 40 Corning REOSC Alt-Az TELAS 311 8.01 50.4     http://www.noao.edu/usgp/usgp.html
8 Gemini South Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Cerro Pachon, Chile 2000 1.8 ULE Meniscus 40 Corning REOSC Alt-Az TELAS 311 8.01 50.4     http://www.gemini.edu/
6.5 MMT Conversion Whipple Observatory Mt. Hopkins, Arizona 1999 1.25 E6 Honeycomb 9 SOML-UA SOML-UA Alt-Az TIW/deBartolomeis 118 6.44 32.6     http://sculptor.as.arizona.edu/foltz/www/mmt.html
6.5 Magellan I - Walter Baade Las Campanas Observatory Cerro Manqui, Chile 2000 1.25 E6 Honeycomb 9 SOML-UA SOML-UA Alt-Az L&F 150 6.44 32.6     http://www.ociw.edu/~johns/magellan.html
6 BTA - Bol'shoi Teleskop Azimultal'nyi Special Astrophysical Observatory Mt. Pastukhova (Caucasus), Russia 1976 4 Sitall Solid 6   LOMO Alt-Az   850   26     http://www.sao.ru/
5.08 Hale Palomar Observatory Palomar Mountain, California 1948 3.3 Pyrex Honeycomb   Corning Brown horseshoe yoke Westinghouse 482     $6M   http://astro.caltech.edu/observatories/palomar/
4.2 WHT - William Herschel Telescope Obs. Roque de los Muchachos La Palma, Canary Islands 1987 2.5 Cer-Vit Solid   Owens-Illinois Grubb-Parsons Alt-Az Grubb-Parsons 210         http://www.ing.iac.es
4 Victor M. Blanco Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Cerro Tololo, Chile 1976 2.8 Cer-Vit Solid   Owens-Illinois KPNO horseshoe Western Gear 310 4 10.0     http://www.ctio.noao.edu/telescopes/4m/base4m.html
3.89 AAT - Anglo-Australian Telescope Anglo-Australian Observatory Siding Spring, New South Wales 1975 3.3 Cer-Vit Solid   Owens-Illinois Grubb-Parsons horseshoe Mitsubishi           http://www.aao.gov.au/
3.81 Nicholas U. Mayall Kitt Peak National Observatory Kitt Peak, Arizona 1973 2.8 Fused Quartz Solid   General Electric KPNO horseshoe Western Gear           http://www.noao.edu/kpno/kpno.html
3.8 UKIRT - United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope Mauna Kea Observatories Mauna Kea, Hawaii 1978 2.5 Cer-Vit Meniscus 13.2 Owens-Illinois Grubb-Parsons English yoke Hadfields Ltd.       $5.6M Tele. ... 1990s http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/JACpublic/UKIRT/home.html
3.67 AEOS 3.7m Air Force Maui Optical Station Haleakala, Hawaii 1996   Zerodur Meniscus 23 Schott Contraves Alt-Az Contraves           http://ulua.mhpcc.af.mil/
3.58 CFHT - Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Mauna Kea Observatories Mauna Kea, Hawaii 1979 3.8 Cer-Vit Solid   Owens-Illinois DAO horseshoe yoke SNACRP           http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/
3.57 ESO 3.6m European Southern Observatory Cerro La Silla, Chile 1977 3 Fused Silica Solid     REOSC horseshoe fork Creusot-Loire 200         http://www.ls.eso.org/lasilla/Telescopes/360cat/html/tel360.html
3.5 NTT - New Technology Telescope European Southern Observatory Cerro La Silla, Chile 1989 2.2 Zerodur Meniscus 14.9 Schott Zeiss Alt-Az INNSE 110         http://www.ls.eso.org/lasilla/Telescopes/NEWNTT/
3.5 MPI 3.5m German-Spanish Astronomical Center Calar Alto, Spain 1984 3.5 Zerodur Solid 5.8 Schott Zeiss horseshoe yoke VOITH/MAN 400     DM 55e6 Tele. ... 1990s http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/Public/CAHA/
3.5 USAF Phillips Lab 3.5m Starfire Optical Range Albuquerque, New Mexico 1994 1.5 E6 Honeycomb   SOML-UA SOML-UA Alt-Az Contraves           http://www.de.afrl.af.mil/pa/factsheets/35meter.html
3.5 WIYN - Wisconsin Indiana Yale NOAO Kitt Peak National Observatory Kitt Peak, Arizona 1994 1.75 E6 Honeycomb   SOML-UA SOML-UA Alt-Az L&F           http://www.noao.edu/wiyn/wiyn.html
3.5 TNG - Telescopio Nazionale Galileo Obs. Roque de los Muchachos La Palma, Canary Islands 1997 2.2 Zerodur Meniscus 14.9 Schott Zeiss Alt-Az Ansaldo Energia           http://www.pd.astro.it/TNG/TNG.html
3.48 ARC Apache Point Observatory Sacramento Peak, New Mexico 1994 1.75 E6 Honeycomb   SOML-UA SOML-UA Alt-Az L&F           http://www.apo.nmsu.edu/
3.05 Shane 120-inch Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton, California 1959 5 Pyrex Honeycomb   Corning Hendrix fork equatorial Judson Pacific-Murphy           http://www.irving.org/xplore/lick/contents.html
3 IRTF - Infrared Telescope Facility NASA Mauna Kea, Hawaii 1979 2.5 Cer-Vit Solid   Owens-Illinois KPNO English yoke deBartolomeis           http://irtf.ifa.hawaii.edu/
3 LMT NASA Orbital Debris Observatory Sacramento Peak, New Mexico 1995 1.725 Mercury Liquid   U. Laval gravity Transit             http://www.sunspot.noao.edu/Nodo/nodo.html
2.72 Harlan J. Smith 107-inch McDonald Observatory Mt. Locke, Texas 1969 3.93 Fused Silica Solid 8.6 Corning Davidson English yoke Westinghouse 165         http://www.as.utexas.edu/mcdonald/facilities/2.7m/2.7.html
2.7 LMT University of British Colombia Vancouver, Canada 1992 1.887 Mercury Liquid   U. Laval gravity Transit             http://www.astro.ubc.ca/LMT/lmt.html
2.64 Shajn Crimean Astrophysical Observatory Simeis, Ukraine 1961 3.85 Sitall Solid     LOMO fork equatorial LOMO           http://www.crao.crimea.ua/craoinfo/stella.html
2.6 2.6m Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory Mt. Aragatz, Byurakan, Armenia 1976 3.85 Sitall Solid     LOMO fork equatorial LOMO           http://bao.sci.am/
2.56 NOT - Nordic Optical Telescope Obs. Roque de los Muchachos La Palma, Canary Islands 1989 2 Zerodur Meniscus 13.5 Schott Tuorla Optical Lab. Alt-Az             http://www.not.iac.es/
2.54 Irenee duPont Las Campanas Observatory Las Campanas, Chile 1976 3 Fused Silica Solid 6.57 Corning Loomis fork equatorial L&F           http://www.ociw.edu/lco.html
2.54 Hooker 100-inch Mt. Wilson Observatory Mt. Wilson, California 1917 5 glass Solid   St. Gobain Ritchey English yoke             http://www.mtwilson.edu/
2.5 INT - Isaac Newton Telescope Obs. Roque de los Muchachos La Palma, Canary Islands 1984 3 Zerodur Solid   Schott Grubb-Parsons polar-disk equatorial             http://www.ing.iac.es
2.5 SDSS - Sloan Digital Sky Survey Apache Point Observatory Sacramento Peak, New Mexico 1997 2.25 E6 Honeycomb   Hextek OSC-UA Alt-Az L&F 22         http://www.sdss.org/sdss.html
                                     
Formerly Operating Reflecting Telescopes
Clear Telescope Name Observatory Location Date of M1 Mirror Mirror Aspect Mirror Mirror Mounting Mounting   Aperture Area Baseline Ref.  
Aperture (meters)       Operation F# Material Type Ratio Blank By Polish By Type Made By   equiv. meters sq. meters Cost    
                                     
3.5 55   Iraq     Zerodur Solid   Schott Zeiss                
                                     
Mirrors Retired from Telescopes
Clear Telescope Name Observatory Location Date of M1 Mirror Mirror Aspect Mirror Mirror Mounting Mounting   Aperture Area Baseline Ref.  
Aperture (meters)       Operation F# Material Type Ratio Blank By Polish By Type Made By   equiv. meters sq. meters Cost    
6 BTA - Bol'shoi Teleskop Azimultal'nyi Special Astrophysical Observatory Mt. Pastukhova, Russia 1976 4 borosilicate Solid                     http://www.sao.ru/
2.5 INT       3 borosilicate Solid                     http://ing.iac.es/welcome.html
6 x 1.8 MMT (old) Whipple Observatory Mt. Hopkins, Arizona 1979 2.7 Fused Silica Honeycomb   Corning OSC-UA       4.6       http://sculptor.as.arizona.edu/foltz/www/mmt.html
                                     
This list of telescopes compiled by John M. Hill, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, jhill@as.arizona.edu
version 13 November 2001
                                       
BIBLIOGRAPHY
JRASC (1929) vol 23, p351
Sky&Telescope (April 1981) p303
Mercury (Sep-Oct 1982) p142 (from Pasachoff)
King, Henry C. "The History of the Telescope"
Sky&Telescope (July 1993) vol 86, p 27-32
James H. Burge, 1993 Dissertation at UA, "Advanced Techniques for Measuring Primary Mirrors for Astronomical Telescopes"
many SPIE Proceedings (2871, 2199, 1236, 628, 444, 332)
Sky&Telescope (August 2000) vol 100, p 43-51