Famous Telescopes

The history of the telescope is a large and complex subject. 

A list of historically important telescopes is given below for reference:

Large Binocular Telescope (LBT); 8.4 m(x2) or 11.8 m 464.5″ Reflector - Multi-mirror (2); World’s largest 2008; Mount Graham International Observatory, Arizona; completed 2008. 

Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC); 10.4 m 410″ Reflector – Segmented (36); World’s largest 2009; ORM, Canary Islands, Spain; completed 2006. 

Keck 1; 10 m 400″ Reflector – Segmented (36); World’s largest 1993; Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii Completed 1993. 

Hubble (HST); 2.4 m 94″ Single Largest Visible-light space based telescope Low Earth orbit NASA+ESA ; Launched 1990. 

BTA-6; 6 m 238″ Reflector; World’s largest 1976; Zelenchukskaya, Caucasus; Completed 1976.

McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope; 1.61 m 63″ Single Largest solar telescope; Kitt Peak National Observatory, USA; Completed 1962 .

Hale Telescope; (200 inch) 5.08 m 200″ Reflector; World’s largest 1948; Palomar Observatory, California; Completed 1948.

Samuel Oschin telescope; 1.22 m 48″ Schmidt; World’s largest Schmidt camera 1948; Palomar Observatory; California; Completed 1948.

69-inch Perkins Telescope; 1.75 m 69″ Single; Perkins Observatory, Ohio; Completed 1931-1964. 

Plaskett telescope; 1.83 m 72″; Single designed as World’s largest but beat by Hooker 100-Inch; Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Canada; Completed 1918. 

Hooker 100-Inch Telescope; 2.54 m 100″ Reflector; World’s largest 1917 Mt. Wilson Observatory; California Completed 1917. 

Hale 60-Inch Telescope 1.524 m 60″ Single Mt. Wilson Observatory; California 1908 

Harvard 60-inch Reflector  1.524 m 60″ Single Harvard College Observatory, USA 1905-1931 

George Ritchey 40-inch (1 m); 102 cm 40″ Ritchey-Chretien;  Flagstaff, Arizona (Washington, D.C. until 1955). Completed 1934. 

Zeiss di Merate (1m reflector); 100 cm 39.4″ Single; Merate Observatory, Merate, Italy; Completed 1926. 

Zeiss 1m; reflector 100 cm 39.4″ Single; Royal Observatory., Uccle, Belgium.  

Hamburg Spiegelteleskop (1m reflector); 100 cm 39.4″ Single  ;Hamburg-Bergdorf Obs., Germany Completed 1911. 

Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900; 125 cm 49.21" refractor; largest refractor ever built Exposition Universelle (1900); Completed 1900. 

Yerkes Observatory 102 cm; 40″ refractor; largest operational refractor: Lick Observatory, California, USA; Completed 1897. 

Crossley Reflector 91.4 cm; 36″ glass – reflector; First Astrophotographic telescope built by Andrew Ainslie Common; Ealing,London, England / Lick Observatory, USA. Completed 1879.

Great Melbourne Telescope 1.22 m; 48″ Metal  ; Melbourne Observatory, Australia; Completed 1867. 

William Lassell 48-inch; 1.22 m 48″ Speculum Metal  Reflector; Malta; Completed 1861-1865. 

Leviathan of Parsonstown 1.83 m; 72″ speculum metal - reflector World’s largest 1845; Constructed William Parsons, 3rd Earl Rosse, Birr Castle; Ireland; Completed 1845. 

William Lassell 24-inch 61 cm 24″ metal - reflector  Liverpool, England 1845 

Great Dorpat Refractor (Fraunhofer); Dorpat/Tartu Observatory 24 cm 9.6″; Achromatic refractor "... the first modern, achromatic, refracting telescope." Dorpat, Governorate of Estonia; Completed 1824. 

Rosse 36-inch Telescope; 91.4 cm 36″ speculum metal – reflector; William Parsons, Birr Castle Ireland; Completed 1826 

Herschel 40-foot (126 cm d.);  1.26 m 49.5″ Reflector - metal mirror; World’s largest 1789; Observatory House; England; Completed 1789-1815. 

Herschel 20-foot (47.5 cm d.); 47.5 cm 18.5″ Metal;  Observatory House; England; Completed 1782. 

Rev John Michell Gregorian reflector; 75 cm 29.5″ Reflector – Gregorian; World’s largest 1780; Yorkshire, England; Completed 1780-1789. 

Father Noel Gregorian reflector; 60 cm 23.5″ Reflector – Gregorian; World’s largest 1761; Paris, France; Completed 1761. 

James Short Gregorian reflector 50 cm; 19.5" Reflector – Gregorian; World’s largest 1750; Scotland; Completed 1750. 

James Short Gregorian reflector 38 cm; 14″ Reflector - Gregorian World’s largest 1734; Scotland; Completed 1734. 

John Hadley Reflector 15 cm; 6″ Metal; First parabolic Newtonian; England (mobile; Completed 1721. 

Christiaan Huygens 210 foot refractor 22 cm; 8.5" Refractor - Aerial telescope; World’s largest 1686 Netherlands. Completed 1686. 

Christiaan Huygens 170 foot refractor 20 cm 8" Refractor - Aerial telescope World’s largest 1689 Netherlands 1686. 

Christiaan Huygens 210 foot refractor 19 cm; 7.5" Refractor - Aerial telescope World’s largest 1686; Netherlands; Completed 1686. 

Robert Hooke reflector; 18 cm 7″ Reflector; World’s largest 16??; Completed England 16?? 

Isaac Newton's Reflector; 3.3 cm 1.3″ Metal ; First reflecting telescope; England (mobile); Completed 1669. 

Johannes Hevelius refractor 12 cm; 4.7″ Refractor World’s largest 1645; Gdańsk (Danzig), Poland; Completed 1645. 

Johannes Hevelius/ Christoph Scheiner helioscope 6 cm; 2.3″ Refractor; World’s largest 1638; Gdańsk (Danzig), Poland; Completed 1638. 

Galileo's 1620 telescope; 3.8 cm 1.5″ Refractor; World’s largest 1638; Italy; Completed 1638. 

Galileo's 1612 telescope; 2.6 cm 1″ Refractor; World’s largest 1612; Italy; Completed 1612. 

Galileo's 1609 telescope; 1.5 cm .62″ Refractor; World’s largest 1609 Italy; Completed 1609. 

Hans Lippershey's telescope;  ? cm .?″ Refractor; World’s first recorded telescope; Netherlands; Completed 1608.

Herschel's 7' Telescope

Crossley 36" Reflector

48" Melbourne Reflector

Image Telescope Date Type Observatory Original Site Present Location Details
Carte du Ciel Astrograph 1890 Refractor Paris Observatory Meudon, Paris France Paris Observatory Museum More...
Craig 24" Refractor 1852 Refractor Wandsworh Common Wandsworh Common Not Extant More...
Crossley 36" Reflector 1876 Newtonian Reflector Lick Observatory Mount Hamilton, California, USA Mount Hamilton, California, USA More...
Daramona 24" Reflector 1881 Cassegrain Daramona Observatory Streete, Westmeath, Ireland Liverpool Museum, England More...
Dorpat 9.6" Refractor 1824 Refractor Dorpat Observatory Dorpat, Russia Tartu Observatory, Estonia More...
Galileo's Telescope 1609 Refractor University of Padua, Italy Padua, Italy Museum of Science, Florence, Italy More...

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