List of largest optical telescopes historically on:
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Telescopes have grown in size since they first appeared around 1608. The following tables list the increase in size over the years. Different technologies can and have been used to build telescopes, which are used to magnify distant views especially in astronomy.
Largest optical telescopes of the world
Selected largest telescopes
The Historical Growth of Telescope Aperture
(2003) {{DEFAULTSORT:Largest optical telescopes historically Lists of telescopes
Telescopes have grown in size since they first appeared around 1608. The following tables list the increase in size over the years. Different technologies can and have been used to build telescopes, which are used to magnify distant views especially in astronomy.
By overall aperture
The following is a list of largest single mount optical telescopes sorted by totalobjective
Objective may refer to:
* Objective (optics), an element in a camera or microscope
* ''The Objective'', a 2008 science fiction horror film
* Objective pronoun, a personal pronoun that is used as a grammatical object
* Objective Productions, a Brit ...
diameter (''aperture''), including segmented and multi-mirror configurations. It is a historical list, with the instruments listed in chronological succession by objective size. By itself, the diameter of the primary optics can be a poor measure of a telescope's historical or scientific significance; for example, William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse's 72-inch (1.8 m) reflecting telescope did not perform as well (i.e. gather as much light) as the smaller silvered glass mirror telescopes that succeeded it because of the poor performance of its speculum metal
Speculum metal is a mixture of around two-thirds copper and one-third tin, making a white brittle alloy that can be polished to make a highly reflective surface. It was used historically to make different kinds of mirrors from personal grooming ...
mirror.
By historical significance
Chronological list of optical telescopes by historical significance, which reflects the overall technological progression and not only the primary mirror's diameter ''(as shown in table above)''.See also
References
External links
Largest optical telescopes of the world
Selected largest telescopes
The Historical Growth of Telescope Aperture
(2003) {{DEFAULTSORT:Largest optical telescopes historically Lists of telescopes
Optical telescopes
An optical telescope is a telescope that gathers and focuses light mainly from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, to create a magnified image for direct visual inspection, to make a photograph, or to collect data through electr ...
it:Cronologia dei telescopi più grandi del mondo