The first telescope was built in 1609 by the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei. The scientist, based on rumors about the invention of the Dutch telescope, unraveled its device and made a sample, which was first used for space observations. Galileo's first telescope had a modest size (tube length 1245 mm, lens diameter 53 mm, eyepiece 25 diopters), an imperfect optical design and a 30x magnification. The sun, mountains on the surface of the moon, the presence of appendages in the disk of Saturn at two opposite points.
More than four hundred years have passed - on earth and even in space, modern telescopes help earthlings look into distant cosmic worlds. The larger the diameter of the telescope mirror, the more powerful the optical setup.
multimirror telescope
Located on Mount Hopkins, at an altitude of 2606 meters above sea level, in the state of Arizona in the USA. The diameter of the mirror of this telescope is 6.5 meters.. This telescope was built back in 1979. In 2000, it was improved. It is called multi-mirror because it consists of 6 precisely fitted segments that make up one large mirror.
Magellan telescopes
Two telescopes, Magellan-1 and Magellan-2, are located at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, in the mountains, at an altitude of 2400 m, the diameter of their mirrors is 6.5 m each. The telescopes started operating in 2002.
And on March 23, 2012, the construction of another more powerful Magellan telescope, the Giant Magellan Telescope, began, it should come into operation in 2016. In the meantime, the top of one of the mountains was demolished by an explosion in order to clear a place for construction. The giant telescope will consist of seven mirrors 8.4 meters each, which is equivalent to one mirror with a diameter of 24 meters, for which he was already nicknamed “Seven-eye”.
Separated twins Gemini telescopes
Two brother telescopes, each located in a different part of the world. One - "Gemini North" stands on top of an extinct volcano Mauna Kea in Hawaii, at an altitude of 4200 m. The other - "Gemini South", is located on Mount Serra Pachon (Chile) at an altitude of 2700 m.
Both telescopes are identical the diameters of their mirrors are 8.1 meters, they were built in 2000 and belong to the Gemini Observatory. Telescopes are located on different hemispheres of the Earth so that the entire starry sky is available for observation. Telescope control systems are adapted to work via the Internet, so astronomers do not have to travel to different hemispheres of the Earth. Each of the mirrors of these telescopes is made up of 42 hexagonal pieces that have been soldered and polished. These telescopes are built with state-of-the-art technology, making Gemini Observatory one of the most advanced astronomy laboratories in the world today.
Northern "Gemini" in Hawaii
Subaru telescope
This telescope belongs to the Japan National Astronomical Observatory. A is located in Hawaii, at an altitude of 4139 m, next to one of the Gemini telescopes. The diameter of its mirror is 8.2 meters. "Subaru" is equipped with the world's largest "thin" mirror .: its thickness is 20 cm, its weight is 22.8 tons. This allows the use of a drive system, each of which transfers its force to the mirror, giving it an ideal surface in any position, for the best image quality.
With the help of this sharp telescope, the most distant galaxy known to date, located at a distance of 12.9 billion light years, was discovered. years, 8 new satellites of Saturn, protoplanetary clouds photographed.
By the way, "Subaru" in Japanese means "Pleiades" - the name of this beautiful star cluster.
Japanese telescope "Subaru" in Hawaii
Hobby-Eberle Telescope (NO)
Located in the USA on Mount Faulks, at an altitude of 2072 m, and belongs to the McDonald Observatory. The diameter of its mirror is about 10 m.. Despite its impressive size, Hobby-Eberle cost its creators only $13.5 million. It was possible to save the budget thanks to some design features: the mirror of this telescope is not parabolic, but spherical, not solid - it consists of 91 segments. In addition, the mirror is at a fixed angle to the horizon (55°) and can only rotate 360° around its axis. All this significantly reduces the cost of construction. This telescope specializes in spectrography and is successfully used to search for exoplanets and measure the speed of rotation of space objects.
Large South African Telescope (SALT)
It belongs to the South African Astronomical Observatory and is located in South Africa, on the Karoo plateau, at an altitude of 1783 m. The dimensions of its mirror are 11x9.8 m. It is the largest in the southern hemisphere of our planet. And it was made in Russia, at the Lytkarinsky Optical Glass Plant. This telescope has become an analogue of the Hobby-Eberle telescope in the USA. But it has been modernized - the spherical aberration of the mirror has been corrected and the field of view has been increased, thanks to which, in addition to working in the spectrograph mode, this telescope is capable of obtaining excellent photographs of celestial objects with high resolution.
The largest telescope in the world ()
It stands on top of the extinct volcano Muchachos on one of the Canary Islands, at an altitude of 2396 m. Main mirror diameter - 10.4 m. Spain, Mexico and the USA took part in the creation of this telescope. By the way, this international project cost 176 million US dollars, of which 51% was paid by Spain.
The mirror of the Great Canary Telescope, composed of 36 hexagonal parts, is the largest of the existing ones in the world today. Although this is the largest telescope in the world in terms of mirror size, it cannot be called the most powerful in terms of optical performance, since there are systems in the world that surpass it in their vigilance.
Located on Mount Graham, at an altitude of 3.3 km, in the state of Arizona (USA). This telescope is owned by the Mount Graham International Observatory and was built with money from the United States, Italy and Germany. The structure is a system of two mirrors with a diameter of 8.4 meters, which is equivalent in light sensitivity to one mirror with a diameter of 11.8 m. The centers of the two mirrors are at a distance of 14.4 meters, which makes the resolution of the telescope equivalent to 22 meters, which is almost 10 times greater than that of the famous Hubble Space Telescope. Both mirrors of the Large Binocular Telescope are part of one optical instrument and together they represent one huge binocular - the most powerful optical instrument in the world at the moment.
Telescopes by William Keck
Keck I and Keck II are another pair of twin telescopes. They are located next to the Subaru telescope on the top of the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea (height 4139 m). The diameter of the main mirror of each of the Keks is 10 meters - each of them individually is the second largest telescope in the world after the Great Canary. But this system of telescopes surpasses the Canary in terms of "vigilance". The parabolic mirrors of these telescopes are made up of 36 segments, each of which is equipped with a special computer-controlled support system. Atacama in the Chilean Andes mountain range, on Mount Paranal, 2635 m above sea level. And belongs to the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which includes 9 European countries.
A system of four telescopes of 8.2 meters each, and four auxiliary telescopes of 1.8 meters each, is equivalent in aperture ratio to one device with a mirror diameter of 16.4 meters.
Each of the four telescopes can also work separately, receiving photographs that show stars up to the 30th magnitude. All telescopes rarely work at once, it is too expensive. More often, each of the large telescopes is paired with its 1.8 meter assistant. Each of the auxiliary telescopes can move along the rails relative to its "big brother", taking the most favorable position for observing this object. The Very Large Telescope is the most advanced astronomical system in the world. A lot of astronomical discoveries were made on it, for example, the world's first direct image of an exoplanet was obtained.
The diameter of its mirror is only 2.4 m, which is smaller than the largest telescopes on Earth. But due to the lack of influence of the atmosphere, the resolution of the telescope is 7 - 10 times greater than a similar telescope located on Earth. "Hubble" owns many scientific discoveries: the collision of Jupiter with a comet, the image of the relief of Pluto, the auroras on Jupiter and Saturn ...
But the price that has to be paid for the achievements of Hubble is very high: the cost of maintaining a space telescope is 100 times higher than a ground-based reflector with a 4-meter mirror.
Hubble telescope in earth orbit
Events
Plans to build the world's largest telescope atop a Hawaiian volcano have finally been approved. idea to build a new telescope with a mirror about 30 meters in diameter, the largest to date, is owned by scientists from California and Canadian Universities.
The telescope, which, according to preliminary estimates, will cost at 1 billion dollars, will allow you to observe the planets that revolve around distant stars. Also, the new telescope will allow astronomers discover new planets and watch the formation of stars.
Moreover, with the help of the latest telescope, scientists will be able to look into the most distant past, more precisely, to observe what happened 13 billion years ago when our universe was just beginning to form.
The largest telescope in the world
The telescope's primary segmented mirror will have a diameter of approximately 30 meters. It will cover a huge area, exceeding the area of the largest modern telescope. 9 times. The clarity of images obtained with the new telescope will exceed the clarity of modern telescopes 3 times.
Construction of the world's largest telescope begins this month. A suitable place was chosen for him - summit of Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii. The group involved in the new project entered into a contract for the sub-lease of land for construction with University of Hawaii.
Residents of these places opposed the construction of the telescope, explaining their dissatisfaction with the fact that the project could harm the sacred mountain. These places are known for the burial places of saints. Conservationists also oppose construction trying to stop a project that could be bad for the health of nature, such as destroying the habitat of some rare species of living creatures.
Canadian Department of Lands and Natural Resources nevertheless approved the project, but set about two dozen conditions, including the requirement that all workers be trained to carefully handle the fragile nature of these places and knew all the cultural characteristics of the locals.
Mauna Kea - the famous volcano of Hawaii
The top of the Mauna Kea volcano has already sheltered about two dozen telescopes. This dormant volcano is very popular in the astronomical world, as its peak is located above the clouds at a height 4205 meters, offering perfect visibility 300 days a year.
Location on isolated islands in the central Pacific Ocean allows avoid the problem of light pollution, which also increases visibility many times over. On the Big Island, where the mountain is located, there are several cities, but their light will not interfere with observations.
In addition to American and Canadian universities, organizations from China, India and Japan will also take part in the project.
The largest optical reflecting telescopes of our time
1) Great Canary Telescope. This famous optical reflecting telescope, located on the island La Palma Canaries (Spain) on high 2400 meters above sea level. The diameter of its primary mirror is 10.4 meters, it is divided into hexagonal segments.
The telescope began its work in July 2007 and remains one of the largest working optical telescopes today. A telescope allows you to see a billion times better than the naked eye.
2) Keck Observatory. This astronomical observatory is located on Big island of the Hawaiian archipelago, on the top of the mountain mauna kea, where the construction of the new largest telescope on the planet began. The observatory includes two mirror telescopes with a primary mirror diameter 10 meters. Telescopes started working in 1993 and 1996 respectively.
The observatory is on top 4145 meters above sea level. She became famous for allowing the discovery of most exoplanets.
3) Large South African Telescope (SALT). This optical telescope, the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere, is located in the semi-desert of South Africa near city of Sutherland on high 1783 meters. Primary mirror diameter - 11 meters, it was open in September 2005.
4) Hobby-Eberle Telescope. Another large telescope with a primary mirror diameter 9.2 meters is located in Texas, USA, at the McDonald Observatory, which is owned by the University of Texas at Austin.
5) Large Binocular Telescope. This telescope is considered one of the most powerful and technologically advanced in the world. It was opened in Arizona, USA, Mount Graham in October 2005. Situated at a height 3221 meters. The two telescope mirrors have a diameter 8.4 meters, they are mounted on a common mount. This dual design allows you to photograph the object simultaneously in different filters, which facilitates the work of astronomers and significantly saves time.
The largest optical telescope in Russia
The largest telescope in Eurasia is considered Large Alt-Azimuth Telescope (BTA) which was opened in December 1975. Until 1993, it was considered the largest optical telescope on the planet.
The diameter of the primary mirror of this telescope is 6 meters. The telescope is part Special Astrophysical Observatory and is on top of the bald pastukhov mountains on high 2070 meters above sea level in Karachay-Cherkessia in the foothills of the Caucasus.
Over the past 20-30 years, a satellite dish has become an essential attribute in our lives. Many modern cities have access to satellite television. Satellite dishes became massively popular in the early 1990s. For such dish antennas, used as radio telescopes to receive information from different parts of the world, size really matters. Your attention is presented to the ten largest telescopes on Earth, located in the largest observatories in the world
10 Stanford Satellite Telescope, USA
Diameter: 150 feet (46 meters)
Located in the foothills of Stanford, California, is a radio telescope known as the Landmark Dish. It is visited by approximately 1,500 people every day. Built by the Stanford Research Institute in 1966, the 150-foot-diameter (46 meters) radio telescope was originally designed to study the chemical composition of our atmosphere, but with such a powerful radar antenna, it was later used to communicate with satellites and spacecraft.
9 Algonquin Observatory, Canada
Diameter: 150 feet (46 meters)
This observatory is located in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. The main centerpiece of the observatory is a 150-foot (46 m) parabolic dish, which became known in 1960 during the early VLBI technical tests. VLBI takes into account the simultaneous observations of many telescopes that are interconnected.
8 LMT Large Telescope, Mexico
Diameter: 164 feet (50 meters)
The LMT Large Telescope is a relatively recent addition to the list of the largest radio telescopes. Built in 2006, this 164ft (50m) instrument is the ultimate telescope for sending radio waves in its own frequency range. Providing astronomers with valuable information regarding star formation, the LMT is located in the Negra mountain range, the fifth highest mountain in Mexico. This combined Mexican and American project cost $116 million.
7 Parkes Observatory, Australia
Diameter: 210 feet (64 meters)
Completed in 1961, the Parkes Observatory in Australia was one of several used to transmit television signals in 1969. The observatory provided valuable information to NASA during their lunar missions, transmitting signals and providing needed assistance when our only natural satellite was on the Australian side of the Earth. More than 50 percent of the known neutron star pulsars have been found in Parks.
6 Aventurine Communications Complex, USA
Diameter: 230 feet (70 meters)
Known as the Aventurine Observatory, this complex is located in the Mojave Desert, California. This is one of 3 such complexes - the other two are located in Madrid and Canberra. Aventurine is known as the antenna of Mars, which is 230 feet (70 m) in diameter. This very sensitive radio telescope - which was actually modeled and later upgraded to be larger than the one from the Parkes Observatory of Australia, and provide more information to aid in the mapping of quasars, comets, planets, asteroids and many other celestial bodies. The aventurine complex has also proven valuable in the search for high-energy neutrino transmissions on the moon.
5 Evpatoria, Radio Telescope RT-70, Ukraine
Diameter: 230 feet (70 meters)
The telescope in Evpatoria was used to detect asteroids and space debris. It was from here that on October 9, 2008 a signal was sent to the planet Gliese 581c called "Super-Earth". If Gliese 581 is inhabited by intelligent beings, perhaps they will send us a signal back! However, we will have to wait until the message reaches the planet in 2029.
4 Lovell Telescope, UK
Diameter: 250 feet (76 meters)
The Lovell Telescope of the United Kingdom is located at the Jordell Bank Observatory in the North West of England. Built in 1955, it was named after one of the creators, Bernard Lovell. Among the most famous achievements of the telescope was the confirmation of the existence of a pulsar. The telescope also contributed to the discovery of quasars.
3 Effelsberg Radio Telescope in Germany
The Effelsberg radio telescope is located in western Germany. Built between 1968 and 1971, the telescope is in the possession of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, in Bonn. Equipped to observe pulsars, star formations and the nuclei of distant galaxies, the Effelsberg is one of the world's most important superpower telescopes.
2 Green Bank Telescope, USA
Diameter: 328 feet (100 meters)
The Bank's Green Telescope is located in West Virginia, in the middle of the National Quiet Zone of the United States - an area of restricted or banned radio transmissions that greatly aids the telescope in reaching its highest potential. The telescope, which was completed in 2002, took 11 years to build.
1. Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico
Diameter: 1,001 feet (305 meters)
The largest telescope on Earth is by far the Arecibo Observatory near the city of the same name in Puerto Rico. Operated by SRI International, a research institute from Stanford University, the Observatory is involved in radio astronomy, radar observations of the solar system, and the study of the atmospheres of other planets. The huge plate was built in 1963.
Far from the hustle and bustle of civilization, in the deserted deserts and on the tops of the mountains, there are majestic titans, whose gaze is always directed to the starry sky. Some have been standing for decades, while others have yet to see their first stars. Today we will find out where the 10 largest telescopes in the world are located, and get to know each of them separately.
10Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)
The telescope is located on the top of Sero Pachon at an altitude of 2682 m above sea level. By type, it belongs to optical reflectors. The diameter of the main mirror is 8.4 m. The first light (a term meaning the first use of the telescope for its intended purpose) LSST will see in 2020. And the device will begin to fully operate in 2022. Despite the fact that the telescope is located outside the United States, its construction is funded by the Americans. One of them was Bill Gates, who invested $10 million. In total, the project will cost $400 million.
The main task of the telescope is to photograph the night sky at intervals of several nights. For this, the device has a 3.2 gigapixel camera. The LSST has a large viewing angle of 3.5 degrees. The Moon and the Sun, for example, as viewed from Earth, occupy only half a degree. Such wide possibilities are due to the impressive diameter of the telescope and its unique design. The fact is that instead of two usual mirrors, three are used here. It's not the largest telescope in the world, but it could be one of the most productive.
Scientific objectives of the project: search for traces of dark matter; mapping of the Milky Way; detection of nova and supernova explosions; tracking small objects of the solar system (asteroids and comets), in particular those that pass in close proximity to the Earth.
9. Large South African Telescope (SALT)
This device is also an optical reflector. It is located in the Republic of South Africa, on a hilltop, in a semi-desert area near the settlement of Sutherland. The height of the telescope is 1798 m. The diameter of the main mirror is 11/9.8 m.
It is not the largest telescope in the world, but the largest in the southern hemisphere. The construction of the device cost 36 million dollars. A third of them were allocated by the South African government. The remainder of the amount was distributed among Germany, Great Britain, Poland, America and New Zealand.
The first picture of the SALT installation was taken in 2005, almost immediately after construction work was completed. As for optical telescopes, its design is rather non-standard. However, it has become widespread among the newest representatives of large telescopes. The main mirror consists of 91 hexagonal elements, each of which has a diameter of 1 meter. To achieve specific goals and improve visibility, all mirrors can be adjusted in angle.
SALT was created for the spectrometric and visual analysis of radiation from astronomical objects that are out of the field of view of telescopes located in the northern hemisphere. Telescope employees observe quasars, distant and nearby galaxies, and track the evolution of stars.
There is a similar telescope in America - Hobby-Eberly Telescope. It is located in the suburbs of Texas and almost completely coincides in design with the SALT installation.
8. Keck I and II
Two Keck telescopes are connected in a system that creates a single image. They are located in Hawaii on the mountain Mauna Kea. is 4145 m. By type, telescopes also belong to optical reflectors.
The Keck Observatory is located in one of the most favorable (in terms of astroclimate) places on Earth. This means that the interference of the atmosphere in observations is minimal here. Therefore, the Keck Observatory has become one of the most efficient in history. And despite the fact that the largest telescope in the world is not located here.
The main mirrors of Keck telescopes are completely identical to each other. They, like the SALT telescope, consist of a complex of moving elements. There are 36 of them for each of the devices. The shape of the mirror is a hexagon. The observatory can observe the sky in the optical and in the infrared range. Keck conducts a wide range of core research. In addition, it is currently considered one of the most effective ground-based telescopes to search for exoplanets.
7. Great Canary Telescope (GTC)
We continue to answer the question of where is the largest telescope in the world. This time, curiosity brought us to Spain, to the Canary Islands, or rather to the island of La Palma, where the GTC telescope is located. The height of the structure above sea level is 2267 m. The diameter of the main mirror is 10.4 m. It is also an optical reflector. The telescope was completed in 2009. The opening was visited by Juan Carlos I - King of Spain. The project cost 130 million euros. 90% of the amount was allocated by the Spanish government. The remaining 10% was equally divided between Mexico and the University of Florida.
The telescope can observe the starry sky in the optical and mid-infrared range. Thanks to the Osiris and CanariCam tools, he can conduct polarimetric, spectrometric and coronographic studies of space objects.
6. Arecibo Observatory
Unlike the previous ones, this observatory is a radio reflector. The diameter of the main mirror is (attention!) 304.8 meters. This miracle of technology is located in Puerto Rico at an altitude of 497 m above sea level. And it's not yet the largest telescope in the world. You will find out the name of the leader below.
A giant telescope more than once fell into the lens of a movie camera. Remember the final showdown between James Bond and his opponent in GoldenEye? So she went right here. The telescope has been featured in Carl Sagan's sci-fi film Contact and many other films. The radio telescope has also featured in video games. In particular, in the Rogue Transmission map of the Battlefield 4 toy. The clash between the military takes place around a structure that completely imitates Arecibo.
For a long time it was believed that Arecibo is the largest telescope in the world. A photo of this giant must have been seen by every second inhabitant of the Earth. It looks quite unusual: a huge plate, placed in a natural aluminum-coated and surrounded by dense jungle. A mobile irradiator is suspended above the dish, which is supported by 18 cables. They, in turn, are mounted on three high towers installed along the edges of the plate. Thanks to such dimensions, "Arecibo" can catch a wide range (wavelength - from 3 cm to 1 m) of electromagnetic radiation.
The radio telescope was put into operation in the 60s. He appeared in a huge number of studies, one of which was awarded the Nobel Prize. In the late 90s, the observatory became one of the key instruments of the project to search for alien life.
5. Large Massif in the Atacama Desert (ALMA)
It's time to consider the most expensive of the existing ground-based telescopes. It is a radio interferometer, which is located at an altitude of 5058 m above sea level. The interferometer consists of 66 radio telescopes, which have a diameter of 12 or 7 meters. The project cost $1.4 billion. It was funded by America, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, Europe and Chile.
ALMA is designed to study millimeter and submillimeter waves. For an apparatus of this kind, the most favorable is the high-altitude dry climate. Telescopes were delivered to the site gradually. The first radio antenna was launched in 2008 and the last in 2013. The main scientific goal of the interferometer is to study the evolution of the cosmos, in particular the birth and development of stars.
4. Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT)
Closer to the southwest, in the same desert as ALMA, at an altitude of 2516 m above sea level, a GMT telescope with a diameter of 25.4 m is being built. It belongs to the type of optical reflectors. This is a joint project of America and Australia.
The main mirror will include one central and six curved segments surrounding it. In addition to the reflector, the telescope is equipped with a new class of adaptive optics, which makes it possible to achieve a minimum level of atmospheric distortion. As a result, images will be 10 times more accurate than from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Scientific goals of GMT: search for exoplanets; study of stellar, galactic and planetary evolution; study of black holes and much more. The construction of the telescope should be completed by 2020.
Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). This project is similar in its parameters and goals to the GMT and Keck telescopes. It will be located on the Hawaiian mountain Mauna Kea, at an altitude of 4050 m above sea level. The diameter of the main mirror of the telescope is 30 meters. The TMT optical reflector uses a mirror divided into a plurality of hexagonal parts. Only compared to Keck, the dimensions of the device are three times larger. The construction of the telescope has not yet begun due to problems with the local administration. The fact is that Mount Mauna Kea is sacred to native Hawaiians. The cost of the project is $1.3 billion. The investment will mainly involve India and China.
3. 50m spherical telescope (FAST)
Here it is, the largest telescope in the world. On September 25, 2016, an observatory (FAST) was launched in China, created to study space and search for signs of intelligent life in it. The diameter of the device is as much as 500 meters, so it received the status of "The world's largest telescope." China began building the observatory in 2011. The project cost the country $180 million. The local authorities even promised that they would relocate about 10,000 people who live in a 5-kilometer zone near the telescope to create ideal conditions for monitoring.
Thus, Arecibo is no longer the world's largest telescope. China took the title from Puerto Rico.
2. Square Kilometer Array (SKA)
If the project of this radio interferometer is successfully completed, then the SKA observatory will be 50 times more powerful than the largest existing radio telescopes. With its antennas, it will cover an area of about 1 square kilometer. In terms of structure, the project resembles the ALMA telescope, but in terms of dimensions it is much larger than the Chilean installation. To date, there are two options for the development of events: the construction of 30 telescopes with antennas of 200 m or the construction of 150 90-meter telescopes. In any case, according to the idea of scientists, the observatory will have a length of 3000 km.
SKA will be located on the territory of two states at once - South Africa and Australia. The cost of the project is about $2 billion. The amount is divided among 10 countries. The project is planned to be completed by 2020.
1. Extremely Large European Telescope (E-ELT)
In 2025, an optical telescope will reach full capacity, which will exceed the size of TMT by as much as 10 meters and will be located in Chile at the top of Mount Cerro Armazones, at an altitude of 3060 m. It will be the largest optical telescope in the world.
Its main almost 40-meter mirror will include almost 800 moving parts, each one and a half meters in diameter. Thanks to such dimensions and modern adaptive optics, E-ELT will be able to find planets like Earth and study the composition of their atmosphere.
The largest mirror telescope in the world will also study the process of planet formation and other fundamental issues. The cost of the project is about 1 billion euros.
The largest space telescope in the world
Space telescopes do not need such dimensions as terrestrial ones, since due to the absence of the influence of the atmosphere, they can show excellent results. Therefore, in this case, it is more correct to say "the most powerful" rather than "the largest" telescope in the world. Hubble is a space telescope that has become famous all over the world. Its diameter is almost two and a half meters. At the same time, the resolution of the device is ten times greater than if it were on Earth.
The Hubble will be replaced in 2018 by a more powerful one. Its diameter will be 6.5 m, and the mirror will consist of several parts. Placed, as planned by the creators, "James Webb" will be in L2, in the permanent shadow of the Earth.
Conclusion
Today we got acquainted with the ten largest telescopes in the world. Now you know how gigantic and high-tech structures that provide space exploration can be, as well as how much money is spent on building these telescopes.
Far from the lights and noise of civilization, on the tops of mountains and in deserted deserts, titans live, whose multi-meter eyes are always turned to the stars. Naked Science has selected 10 of the largest ground-based telescopes: some have been contemplating space for many years, others have yet to see the "first light".
10Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
Main mirror diameter: 8.4 meters
Location: Chile, the peak of Mount Sero Pachon, 2682 meters above sea level
Type: reflector, optical
Although LSST will be located in Chile, this is a US project and its construction is entirely financed by the Americans, including Bill Gates (personally invested $10 million of the required $400).
The purpose of the telescope is to photograph the entire available night sky every few nights, for this the device is equipped with a 3.2 gigapixel camera. LSST stands out for its very wide viewing angle of 3.5 degrees (for comparison, the Moon and Sun, as seen from Earth, occupy only 0.5 degrees). Such possibilities are explained not only by the impressive diameter of the main mirror, but also by the uniqueness of the design: instead of two standard mirrors, LSST uses three.
Among the scientific goals of the project are the search for manifestations of dark matter and dark energy, mapping the Milky Way, detecting short-term events like nova or supernova explosions, as well as registering small objects in the solar system like asteroids and comets, in particular, near the Earth and in the Kuiper Belt.
The LSST is expected to see its “first light” (a common Western term for when the telescope is first used for its intended purpose) in 2020. At the moment, construction is underway, the release of the device to full operation is scheduled for 2022.
Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, concept / LSST Corporation
9South African Large Telescope
Main mirror diameter: 11 x 9.8 meters
Location: South Africa, hilltop near the settlement of Sutherland, 1798 meters above sea level
Type: reflector, optical
The largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere is located in South Africa, in a semi-desert area near the city of Sutherland. A third of the $36 million needed to build the telescope came from the South African government; the rest is divided between Poland, Germany, Great Britain, the USA and New Zealand.
SALT took his first picture in 2005, shortly after construction was completed. Its design is rather non-standard for optical telescopes, but it is widespread among the latest generation of "very large telescopes": the main mirror is not one and consists of 91 hexagonal mirrors with a diameter of 1 meter, the angle of inclination of each of which can be adjusted to achieve a certain visibility.
Designed for visual and spectrometric analysis of radiation from astronomical objects inaccessible to telescopes of the northern hemisphere. Employees of SALT are engaged in observations of quasars, nearby and distant galaxies, and also follow the evolution of stars.
There is a similar telescope in the States, it is called the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and is located in Texas, in the town of Fort Davis. Both the diameter of the mirror and its technology are almost identical to SALT.
South African Large Telescope / Franklin Projects
8. Keck I and Keck II
Main mirror diameter: 10 meters (both)
Location: USA, Hawaii, Mauna Kea, 4145 meters above sea level
Type: reflector, optical
Both of these American telescopes are connected into one system (astronomical interferometer) and can work together to create a single image. The unique location of the telescopes in one of the best places on Earth in terms of astroclimate (the degree to which the atmosphere interferes with the quality of astronomical observations) has made Keck one of the most efficient observatories in history.
The main mirrors of Keck I and Keck II are identical to each other and are similar in structure to the SALT telescope: they consist of 36 hexagonal moving elements. The equipment of the observatory makes it possible to observe the sky not only in the optical but also in the near infrared range.
In addition to the bulk of the widest range of studies, Keck is currently one of the most effective ground-based tools in the search for exoplanets.
Keck at sunset / SiOwl
7. Gran Telescopio Canarias
Main mirror diameter: 10.4 meters
Location: Spain, Canary Islands, La Palma island, 2267 meters above sea level
Type: reflector, optical
The construction of the GTC ended in 2009, at the same time the observatory was officially opened. Even the king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, came to the ceremony. In total, 130 million euros were spent on the project: 90% was financed by Spain, and the remaining 10% was equally divided by Mexico and the University of Florida.
The telescope is capable of observing stars in the optical and mid-infrared range, has CanariCam and Osiris instruments, which allow the GTC to conduct spectrometric, polarimetric and coronographic studies of astronomical objects.
Gran Telescopio Camarias / Pachango
6. Arecibo Observatory
Main mirror diameter: 304.8 meters
Location: Puerto Rico, Arecibo, 497 meters above sea level
Type: reflector, radio telescope
One of the most recognizable telescopes in the world, the Arecibo radio telescope has been caught on camera on numerous occasions: for example, the observatory was featured as the site of the final confrontation between James Bond and his antagonist in the movie GoldenEye, as well as in the sci-fi adaptation of Carl's novel Sagan "Contact".
This radio telescope has even made its way into video games - in particular, in one of the Battlefield 4 multiplayer maps called Rogue Transmission, a military clash between the two sides takes place just around a structure completely copied from Arecibo.
Arecibo looks really unusual: a giant telescope dish with a diameter of almost a third of a kilometer is placed in a natural karst funnel surrounded by jungle and covered with aluminum. A movable antenna feed is suspended above it, supported by 18 cables from three high towers along the edges of the reflector dish. The giant design allows Arecibo to catch electromagnetic radiation of a relatively large range - with a wavelength from 3 cm to 1 m.
Introduced back in the 60s, this radio telescope has been used in countless studies and managed to make a number of significant discoveries (like the first asteroid 4769 Castalia discovered by the telescope). Once Arecibo even provided scientists with a Nobel Prize: in 1974, Hulse and Taylor were awarded for the first ever discovery of a pulsar in a binary star system (PSR B1913 + 16).
In the late 1990s, the observatory also began to be used as one of the instruments of the US SETI project to search for extraterrestrial life.
Arecibo Observatory/Wikimedia Commons
5. Atacama Large Millimeter Array
Main mirror diameter: 12 and 7 meters
Location: Chile, Atacama Desert, 5058 meters above sea level
Type: radio interferometer
At the moment, this astronomical interferometer of 66 radio telescopes of 12 and 7 meters in diameter is the most expensive operating ground-based telescope. The US, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, Europe and, of course, Chile spent about $1.4 billion on it.
Since the purpose of ALMA is to study millimeter and submillimeter waves, the most favorable for such an apparatus is a dry and high-mountain climate; this explains the location of all six and a half dozen telescopes on the desert Chilean plateau 5 km above sea level.
The telescopes were delivered gradually, with the first radio antenna operational in 2008 and the last one in March 2013, when ALMA was officially launched at full scheduled capacity.
The main scientific goal of the giant interferometer is to study the evolution of the cosmos at the earliest stages of the development of the Universe; in particular, the birth and further dynamics of the first stars.
Radio telescopes of the ALMA / ESO/C.Malin system
4Giant Magellan Telescope
Main mirror diameter: 25.4 meters
Location: Chile, Las Campanas Observatory, 2516 meters above sea level
Type: reflector, optical
Far southwest of ALMA, in the same Atacama Desert, another large telescope is under construction, a US and Australian project, the GMT. The main mirror will consist of one central and six symmetrically surrounding and slightly curved segments, forming a single reflector with a diameter of more than 25 meters. In addition to a huge reflector, the telescope will be equipped with the latest adaptive optics, which will make it possible to eliminate the distortions created by the atmosphere during observations as much as possible.
Scientists hope these factors will allow the GMT to capture images 10 times sharper than Hubble's, and probably even better than its long-awaited successor, the James Webb Space Telescope.
Among the scientific goals of GMT is a very wide range of research - the search for and images of exoplanets, the study of planetary, stellar and galactic evolution, the study of black holes, manifestations of dark energy, as well as the observation of the very first generation of galaxies. The operating range of the telescope in connection with the stated goals is optical, near and mid-infrared.
All work is expected to be completed by 2020, however, it is stated that GMT can see the "first light" already with 4 mirrors, as soon as they are introduced into the design. At the moment, work is underway to create the fourth mirror.
Giant Magellan Telescope / GMTO Corporation Concept
3. Thirty Meter Telescope
Main mirror diameter: 30 meters
Location: USA, Hawaii, Mauna Kea, 4050 meters above sea level
Type: reflector, optical
The TMT is similar in purpose and performance to the GMT and the Hawaiian Keck telescopes. It is on the success of Keck that the larger TMT is based with the same technology of the main mirror divided into many hexagonal elements (only this time its diameter is three times larger), and the stated research goals of the project almost completely coincide with the tasks of the GMT, up to photographing the earliest galaxies almost at the edge of the universe.
The media name the different cost of the project, it varies from 900 million to 1.3 billion dollars. It is known that India and China have expressed their desire to participate in TMT, which agree to take on part of the financial obligations.
At the moment, a place has been chosen for construction, but there is still opposition from some forces in the administration of Hawaii. Mauna Kea is a sacred place for native Hawaiians, and many among them are strongly opposed to the construction of a super-large telescope.
It is assumed that all administrative problems will be resolved very soon, and it is planned to complete the construction around 2022.
Thirty Meter Telescope / Thirty Meter Telescope concept
2. Square Kilometer Array
Main mirror diameter: 200 or 90 meters
Location: Australia and South Africa
Type: radio interferometer
If this interferometer is built, it will become 50 times more powerful astronomical instrument than the Earth's largest radio telescopes. The fact is that with its antennas, SKA must cover an area of \u200b\u200babout 1 square kilometer, which will provide it with unprecedented sensitivity.
In terms of structure, SKA is very similar to the ALMA project, however, in terms of dimensions it will significantly exceed its Chilean counterpart. At the moment, there are two formulas: either build 30 radio telescopes with antennas of 200 meters, or 150 with a diameter of 90 meters. One way or another, the length on which the telescopes will be placed will be, according to the plans of scientists, 3000 km.
To choose the country where the telescope will be built, a kind of competition was held. Australia and South Africa reached the “final”, and in 2012 a special commission announced its decision: the antennas will be distributed between Africa and Australia in a common system, that is, the SKA will be located on the territory of both countries.
The declared cost of the megaproject is $2 billion. The amount is divided among a number of countries: Great Britain, Germany, China, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, South Africa, Italy, Canada and even Sweden. Construction is expected to be fully completed by 2020.
Artistic depiction of the 5 km SKA core / SPDO/Swinburne Astronomy Production
1. European Extremely Large Telescope
Main mirror diameter: 39.3 meters
Location: Chile, Cerro Armazones, 3060 meters
Type: reflector, optical
For a couple of years, perhaps. However, by 2025, a telescope will reach full capacity, which will surpass TMT by a dozen meters and which, unlike the Hawaiian project, is already under construction. This is the undisputed leader of the latest generation of large telescopes, the European Very Large Telescope, or E-ELT.
Its main almost 40-meter mirror will consist of 798 moving elements with a diameter of 1.45 meters. This, together with the most advanced adaptive optics system, will make the telescope so powerful that, according to scientists, it will not only be able to find planets similar in size to Earth, but will also be able to study the composition of their atmosphere using a spectrograph, which opens up completely new perspectives in the study planets outside the solar system.
In addition to the search for exoplanets, E-ELT will study the early stages of the development of the cosmos, try to measure the exact acceleration of the expansion of the Universe, check physical constants for, in fact, constancy over time; this telescope will also allow scientists to dive deeper than ever into the formation of planets and their primary chemical composition in search of water and organics - that is, the E-ELT will help answer a number of fundamental questions of science, including those that affect the origin of life.
The cost of the telescope announced by representatives of the European Southern Observatory (the authors of the project) is 1 billion euros.
European Extremely Large Telescope / ESO/L concept. Calcada
Size comparison of E-ELT and Egyptian pyramids / Abovetopsecret
