List of largest optical telescopes in the 19th century
Encyclopedia
List of largest optical telescopes in the 19th century, are listings of what were, for the time period of the 19th century large optical telescopes. See List of largest optical telescopes in the 20th century for the 1900s. The list includes various refractor and reflector that were active some time between about 1799 to 1901.
had some of the record-breaking apertures of the day, but not necessarily high performance. Starting in the 1860s metal coated glass ('Silver on glass') reflector telescopes proved more durable, for example the Crossley Reflector
, which continued to be used and upgraded even into the 21st century. Telescopes with lenses, especially achromatic doublets were popular in the 19th century. (see also Great Refractor
)
(100 cm equals 1 meter)
* (First light or Build Completion to Inactive (Retired) or Deconstruction)
Reflectors & Refractors
Early reflectors using speculum metalSpeculum 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 is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors...
had some of the record-breaking apertures of the day, but not necessarily high performance. Starting in the 1860s metal coated glass ('Silver on glass') reflector telescopes proved more durable, for example the Crossley Reflector
Crossley telescope
The Crossley telescope is an reflecting telescope located at Lick Observatory in the U.S. state of California.-History:Given to the observatory in 1895 by British politician Edward Crossley, it was rebuilt from the ground up as it was on a very flimsy mounting. It is still being used today in the...
, which continued to be used and upgraded even into the 21st century. Telescopes with lenses, especially achromatic doublets were popular in the 19th century. (see also Great Refractor
Great refractor
Great refractor refers to a large telescope with a lens, usually the largest refractor at an observatory with an equatorial mount. The preeminence and success of this style in observational astronomy was an era in telescope use in the 19th and early 20th century. Great refractors were large...
)
(100 cm equals 1 meter)
Legend
| Name/Observatory | Aperture Aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,... cm (in) |
Type Telescope A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses... |
Location then (Original Site) | Extant* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leviathan of Parsonstown Leviathan of Parsonstown Leviathan of Parsonstown is the unofficial name of the Rosse six foot telescope. This is a historic reflecting telescope of 72 in aperture, which was the largest telescope in the world from 1845 until the construction of the 100 in Hooker Telescope in 1917... |
183 cm (72″) | reflector - metal 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 is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors... |
Birr Castle Birr Castle Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. It is the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open to the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible.-Ireland's Historic Science... ; Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
1845–1908 |
| A.A. Common 60-inch | 152.4 cm (60″) | reflector - glass | England | 1891-1904 |
| Herschel 40-foot 40-foot telescope William Herschel's 40-foot telescope, also known as the Great Forty-Foot telescope, was a reflecting telescope constructed between 1785 and 1789 at Observatory House in Slough, England. It used a 120 cm diameter primary mirror with a 12 m long focal length . It was the largest telescope in... (1.26 m diam.) |
126 cm(49.5″) | reflector - metal 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 is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors... |
Observatory House Observatory House Observatory House was an observatory in Slough, England. It was built, run and used by the astronomer William Herschel, and his sister Caroline. The famous '40-foot telescope' - at that time the largest in the world - was housed there in the late 18th century and early 19th century.The main house... ; England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
1789–1815 |
| Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900 Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900 The Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900, with an objective lens of 1.25 m in diameter, was the largest refracting telescope ever constructed. It was built as the centerpiece of the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900. Its construction was instigated in 1892 by François Deloncle , a member of... |
125 cm (49.21") | achromat - siderostat | Paris 1900 Exposition, France | 1900–1901 |
| Great Melbourne Telescope Great Melbourne Telescope The Great Melbourne Telescope was built by Thomas Grubb in Dublin, Ireland in 1868, and installed at the Melbourne Observatory in Melbourne, Australia in 1869.The telescope had a speculum primary mirror, and was mounted on an equatorial mounting... |
122 cm(48″) | reflector - metal 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 is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors... |
Melbourne Observatory Melbourne Observatory Melbourne Observatory was founded in 1862 to serve as a scientific research institution for the rapidly growing city of Melbourne, the capital of the colony of Victoria. The observatory was tasked by the Victorian government with maintaining an accurate time reference for the colony through... , Australia |
1878–1889 |
| William Lassell 48-inch | 122 cm(48″) | reflector - metal 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 is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors... |
Malta Malta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... |
1861–1865 |
| National Observatory, Paris | 122 cm (48″) | reflector | Paris, France | 1875-1943 |
| Yerkes Observatory Yerkes Observatory Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The observatory, which calls itself "the birthplace of modern astrophysics," was founded in 1897 by George Ellery Hale and financed by Charles T. Yerkes... |
102 cm (40″) | achromat | Williams Bay, Wisconsin Williams Bay, Wisconsin Williams Bay is a village in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Williams Bay is located at .... , USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1897 |
| James Lick telescope James Lick telescope The James Lick Telescope is an antique refracting 36 inch telescope built in 1889 that can still be viewed through today... , Lick Observatory Lick Observatory The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA... |
91 cm (36″) | achromat | Mount Hamilton, California Mount Hamilton (California) Mount Hamilton is a mountain in California's Diablo Range, in Santa Clara County, California. Mount Hamilton, at is the tallest mountain overlooking Silicon Valley, and is the site of Lick Observatory, the first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory. The various summits along its... , USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1888 |
| Crossley Reflector Crossley telescope The Crossley telescope is an reflecting telescope located at Lick Observatory in the U.S. state of California.-History:Given to the observatory in 1895 by British politician Edward Crossley, it was rebuilt from the ground up as it was on a very flimsy mounting. It is still being used today in the... |
91.4 cm(36″) | reflector - glass | Lick Observatory Lick Observatory The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA... , USA |
1896 |
| A.A. Common Reflector | 91.4 cm(36″) | reflector - glass | Great Britain | 1880–1896 |
| Rosse 36-inch Telescope | 91.4 cm(36″) | reflector - metal 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 is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors... |
Birr Castle Birr Castle Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. It is the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open to the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible.-Ireland's Historic Science... ; Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
1826 |
| Grande Lunette, Paris Observatory Paris Observatory The Paris Observatory is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centres in the world... |
83 cm + 62 cm (32.67" + 24.40") | achromat x2 | Meudon, France | 1891 |
| Potsdam Große Refraktor Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam Astrophysical Institute Potsdam Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam is a German research institute. It is the successor of the Berlin Observatory founded in 1700 and of the Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam founded in 1874. The latter was the world's first observatory to emphasize explicitly the research area of... |
80 cm + 50 cm (31.5"+29.5") | achromat x2 | Potsdam Potsdam Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre.... , Deutsches Kaiserreich |
1899 |
| Focault Léon Foucault Jean Bernard Léon Foucault was a French physicist best known for the invention of the Foucault pendulum, a device demonstrating the effect of the Earth's rotation... 80 cm, Marseille Observatory Marseille Observatory Marseille Observatory or Observatoire de Marseille is an astronomical observatory run by the University of Provence. It is located near Marseille, France. In its first incarnation, it was the discovery site of a group of galaxies known as Stephan's Quintet or Hickson 92, discovered by Édouard... |
80 cm (31.5") | reflector-glass | Marseille, France | 1864 |
| Grand Lunette Biscoffscheim, Nice Observatory Nice Observatory The Observatoire de Nice is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mont Gros. The observatory was initiated in 1879 by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim... |
77 cm (30.3″) | achromat | Nice, France | 1886 |
| Pulkovo observatory Pulkovo Observatory The Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory астрономи́ческая обсервато́рия Росси́йской акаде́мии нау́к), the principal astronomical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located 19 km south of Saint Petersburg on Pulkovo Heights... |
76 cm (30″) | achromat | Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea... , Russian Empire Russian Empire The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union... |
1885 |
| Royal Observatory, Greenwich Royal Observatory, Greenwich The Royal Observatory, Greenwich , in London, England played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation, and is best known as the location of the prime meridian... |
76.2 cm (30″) | reflector | Greenwich, England | 1897 |
| 28-inch Grubb Refractor Royal Greenwich Observatory | 71 cm (28″) | achromat | Greenwich, London, Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... |
1894 |
| Harvard College Observatory Harvard College Observatory The Harvard College Observatory is an institution managing a complex of buildings and multiple instruments used for astronomical research by the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and was founded in 1839... |
71 cm (28″) | reflector | United States | 1889 |
| Grosse Refractor, Vienna Observatory Vienna Observatory Universitäts-Sternwarte Wien is an astronomical observatory in Vienna, Austria. It is part of the University of Vienna. The first observatory was built in 1753–1754 on the roof of one of the university buildings.... |
69 cm (26″) | achromat | Vienna History of Vienna The history of Vienna has been long and varied, beginning when the Roman Empire created a military camp in the area covered by Vienna's city centre. From that humble beginning, Vienna grew from the Roman settlement known as Vindobona to be an important trading site in the 11th century... , Austrian Empire Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire... |
1880 |
| Great Treptow Refractor, Treptow Observatory | 68 cm (26.77") | achromat | Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
1896 |
| McCormick Observatory McCormick Observatory The McCormick Observatory is one of the astronomical observatories operated by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Virginia and is situated just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia in Albemarle County on the summit of Mount Jefferson . It is named for Leander J... |
67 cm (26.37") | achromat | Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for... , USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1883 |
| U.S. Naval Observatory | 66 cm (26") | achromat | Washington, DC, USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1873 |
| Royal Greenwich Observatory | 66 cm (26") | achromat | Herstmonceux Herstmonceux Herstmonceux is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The parish includes Herstmonceux Castle, the village of Cowbeech and a number of smaller hamlets.-History:... , Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... |
1896 |
| Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.... |
61 cm (24″) | achromat | Arizona, USA | 1894 |
| Craig telescope Craig telescope The Craig telescope was the largest refracting telescope in the world from 1852 to 1857, erected near London, England. It was a great refractor, a large refracting telescope with an achromatic doublet with an aperture of 61 cm and that was completed in 1852 in Wandsworth Common and dismantled... |
61 cm (24″) | achromat | Wandsworth Common Wandsworth Common Wandsworth common is a public common in Wandsworth, south London. It is close to Clapham Common and Wandsworth Common railway station. It is wholly in the London borough of Wandsworth... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
1852–1857 |
| William Lassell 24-inch | 61 cm(24″) | reflector - metal 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 is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors... |
Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
1845 |
| Royal Observatory, Edinburgh Royal Observatory, Edinburgh The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh is an astronomical institution located on Blackford Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland. The site is owned by the Science and Technology Facilities Council... |
61 cm (24″) | reflector | Greenwich, England | 1872 |
| Daramona 24″ reflectorArtdeciel, Daramona telescope | 61 cm (24″) | reflector - glass | Streete, Ireland | 1881-1971 |
| Radcliffe Double Refractor, Radcliffe Observatory Radcliffe Observatory Radcliffe Observatory was the astronomical observatory of Oxford University from 1773 until 1934, when the Radcliffe Trustees sold it and erected a new observatory in Pretoria, South Africa. It is a grade I listed building.- History :... |
60/45 cm (23.6″/18") | achromat x2 | Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... , UK |
1901 |
| Halstead Observatory | 58.4 cm (23″) | achromat | Princeton, USA | 1881 |
| Chamberlin Observatory Chamberlin Observatory Chamberlin Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by University of Denver. It is located in Denver, Colorado in Observatory Park. It is named for Humphrey B. Chamberlin, a Denver real estate magnate who pledged $50,000 in 1888 to build and equip the facility.The... |
50 cm (20″) | achromat | Colorado, USA | 1891 |
| Nasymth Nasmyth telescope The Nasmyth telescope, also called Nasmyth-Cassegrain, is a reflecting telescope developed by James Nasmyth. It is a modified form of a Cassegrain telescope, mounted on an alt-azimuth mount.-Scheme:... 20″ |
50 cm (20″) | reflector - metal | United Kingdom | 1842 |
| Imperial Observatory (Straßburg) Observatory of Strasbourg The Observatory of Strasbourg is an astronomical observatory in Strasbourg, France.Following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the city of Strasbourg became part of the German Empire. The University of Strasbourg was refounded in 1872 and a new observatory began construction in 1875... |
48.5 cm (19.1″) | achromat | Straßburg/Strasbourg, German Empire German Empire The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German... /France |
1880 |
| Herschel 20-foot (0.475 m diam.) | 47.5 cm (18.5″) | reflector - metal 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 is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors... |
Observatory House Observatory House Observatory House was an observatory in Slough, England. It was built, run and used by the astronomer William Herschel, and his sister Caroline. The famous '40-foot telescope' - at that time the largest in the world - was housed there in the late 18th century and early 19th century.The main house... ; England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
1782-? |
| 18½-in Dearborn Observatory Dearborn Observatory The Dearborn Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The observatory was originally constructed in 1888... Refractor |
47 cm (18.5″) | achromat | Chicago (1862–1893), Evanston, Illinois (1893), USA | 1862 |
| Flower Observatory | 46 cm (18″) | achromat | Philadelphia, USA | 1896 |
| Royal Observatory | 46 cm (18″) | achromat | Cape Colony Cape Colony The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take... , British Empire British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the... (South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... ) |
1897 |
| Harvard Great Refractor, Harvard College Observatory Harvard College Observatory The Harvard College Observatory is an institution managing a complex of buildings and multiple instruments used for astronomical research by the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and was founded in 1839... |
38 cm (15″) | achromat | Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent... , USA |
1847 |
| Armagh 15- inch Grubb Reflector | 38 cm (15″) | reflector - metal 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 is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors... |
Armagh Observatory Armagh Observatory Armagh Observatory is a modern astronomical research institute with a rich heritage, based in Armagh, Northern Ireland. Around 25 astronomers are actively studying stellar astrophysics, the Sun, Solar System astronomy, and the Earth's climate.... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
1835 |
| Markree Observatory Markree Observatory -History:In 1830, Col. Edward Joshua Cooper MP eldest son of Edward Synge Cooper MP, and Ann, daughter of Henry Vansittart, Governor of Bengal, set up Markree Observatory on the grounds of Markree Castle.... 13.3″ Grubb/Cauchoix |
34 cm (13.3″) | refractor | County Sligo, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it.... |
1834 |
| Bamberg Refractor Urania Observatory (Berlin) | 31.4 cm (12.36") | achromat | Berlin-Moabit Moabit Moabit is an inner city locality of Berlin. Since Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it belongs to the newly regrouped governmental borough of Mitte. Previously, from 1920 to 2001, it belonged to the borough of Tiergarten. Moabit's borders are defined by three watercourses, the Spree, the... , Prussia Prussia Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history... / Berlin, Germany |
1889-1963 |
| University of Illinois Observatory University of Illinois Observatory The University of Illinois Astronomical Observatory was constructed in 1896. It stands on South Matthews Avenue in Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois. The observatory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 6, 1986 and on December 20, 1989, the U.S. Department of Interior... |
30 cm (12″) | achromat | Urbana, Illinois Urbana, Illinois Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area.... , USA |
1896 |
| Merz und Mahler (Mitchell cupola), Cincinnati Observatory Cincinnati Observatory The Cincinnati Observatory, located in Cincinnati, Ohio on top of Mt. Lookout. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11 inch and 16 inch aperture refracting telescope. It is the oldest professional observatory in the United States... |
28 cm (11″) | achromat | Cincinnati, Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... , USA |
1843 |
| Mills Observatory Mills Observatory The Mills Observatory in Dundee, Scotland, is the only full-time public astronomical observatory in the UK . Built in 1935, the observatory is classically styled in sandstone and has a distinctive 7 m dome, which houses a Victorian refracting telescope, a small planetarium, and display areas... |
25 cm (10″) | achromat | United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
1871 |
| Fraunhofer-Refraktor Berlin Observatory Berlin Observatory The Berlin Observatory is a series of observatories and related organizations in and around the city of Berlin in Germany, starting from the 18th century... |
24 cm (9.6″) | achromat | Berlin-Kreuzberg, Deutsches Kaiserreich (1835–1913) | 1835 |
| Great Dorpat Refractor (Fraunhofer) Dorpat/Tartu Observatory Tartu Observatory The Tartu Observatory is the largest astronomical observatory in Estonia. It is located on the Tõravere hill, about 20 km south-west of Tartu in Nõo Parish, Tartu County... |
24 cm (9.6″) | achromat | Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia/ Tartu Tartu Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the... , Estonia Estonia Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... |
1824 |
| Shuckburgh telescope Shuckburgh telescope The Shuckburgh telescope or Shuckburgh equatorial refracting telescope was a 4.1 inch diameter aperture telescope on a equatorial mount completed in 1791 for Sir George Shuckburgh in Warwickshire, England, and built by British instrument maker Jesse Ramsden . It was transferred to Royal... |
10 cm (4.1″) | achromat | Warwickshire, England | 1791–1923 |
See also
- List of largest optical telescopes in the 20th century
- List of largest optical telescopes in the 18th century
- List of largest optical reflecting telescopes