List of solar telescopes - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

List of solar telescopes sorted by default by year of completion, with newer telescopes higher up.

Large Solar Telescopes after 1900

Ground-based professional observatory telescopes at optical wavelengths in a chronological list.

Solar telescopes often have multiple focal lengths, and use various combination of mirrors (such as coelostats), lenses, and tubes for instruments including spectrographs, cameras, or coronographs. There are many types of instruments that have been designed to observe Earth's Sun, but in the 20 century Solar towers were common.

Name/Observatory	Image	Aperture d.	Year(s)	Location	Country	Note
COronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO)	-	150cm	proposed	Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... , USA
European Solar Telescope European Solar Telescope The European Solar Telescope is the European counterpart of the American Advanced Technology Solar Telescope which is currently being constructed in Hawaii. It is presently at the end of its conceptual design study... (EST)	-	400+ cm	proposed	Canary Islands Canary Islands The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...	15 European countries
National Large Solar Telescope National Large Solar Telescope The National Large Solar Telescope is a Gregorian multi-purpose open telescope proposed to be built in Merak village in Ladakh in India and aims to study the sun's microscopic structure....	-	200 cm	proposed	Merak Village, Ladakh Ladakh Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Advanced Technology Solar Telescope Advanced Technology Solar Telescope The Advanced Technology Solar Telescope is a large domed solar telescope facility that is planned to be built by the National Solar Observatory atop the Haleakala volcano on the Pacific island of Maui. The site was selected for its clear daytime atmospheric seeing conditions, which will enable... (ATST)	-	424 cm	planned	Maui Maui The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,... , Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... , USA
GREGOR solar telescope, Teide Obs. Teide Observatory The Observatorio del Teide is an astronomical observatory on Tenerife operated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. Opened in 1964, it became one of the first major international observatories, attracting telescopes from different countries around the world because of the good astronomical...		150 cm	2009–	Tenerife Tenerife Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
BBO NST, BBS Obs. Big Bear Solar Observatory The Big Bear Solar Observatory is an astronomical telescopic observatory with main interests in studying the physics of the Sun. The instruments and telescopes of the observatory are designed and employed specifically for studying the activities and phenomena of our solar system's star...		160 cm	2008–	California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , USA		2nd Largest aperture solar telescope
Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope Swedish Solar Telescope The Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope is a refracting solar telescope at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma in the Canary Islands. It is run by the Institute for Solar Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The primary element is a single fused silica lens, making it the second... (SST), ORM Roque de los Muchachos Observatory Roque de los Muchachos Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in the municipality of Garafía on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands...		100 cm	2002–	La Palma La Palma La Palma is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands. La Palma has an area of 706 km2 making it the fifth largest of the seven main Canary Islands... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Prairie View Solar Observatory (PVSO)		35 cm	1999–	Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... , USA
Dutch Open Telescope Dutch Open Telescope The Dutch Open Telescope , located on Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma , is an optical solar telescope with a main mirror of 45 centimeter and can reach an 0.2 arcsec resolution for sustained periods. For further optimization of the images, the DOT uses the image despeckle mechanism... (DOT), ORM Roque de los Muchachos Observatory Roque de los Muchachos Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in the municipality of Garafía on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands...		45 cm	1997–	La Palma La Palma La Palma is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands. La Palma has an area of 706 km2 making it the fifth largest of the seven main Canary Islands... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
THÉMIS Solar Telescope, Teide Obs. Teide Observatory The Observatorio del Teide is an astronomical observatory on Tenerife operated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. Opened in 1964, it became one of the first major international observatories, attracting telescopes from different countries around the world because of the good astronomical...		90 cm	1996–	Tenerife Tenerife Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...	and
Vacuum Tower Telescope Vacuum Tower Telescope For the vacuum tower telescope at Sacramento Peak, see Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope.The Vacuum Tower Telescope is an evacuated-optics solar telescope located at the Teide Observatory on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is operated by the Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik ..It has a ... (VTT), Teide Obs. Teide Observatory The Observatorio del Teide is an astronomical observatory on Tenerife operated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. Opened in 1964, it became one of the first major international observatories, attracting telescopes from different countries around the world because of the good astronomical...		70 cm	1989–	Tenerife Tenerife Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Swedish Vacuum Solar Telescope Swedish Vacuum Solar Telescope The Swedish Vacuum Solar Telescope was a 47.5 cm solar telescope on La Palma in the Canary Islands. It was removed on 28 August 2000, and has been superseded by the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope.... , ORM Roque de los Muchachos Observatory Roque de los Muchachos Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in the municipality of Garafía on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands...	-	47.5 cm	1985–2000	La Palma La Palma La Palma is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands. La Palma has an area of 706 km2 making it the fifth largest of the seven main Canary Islands... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...		Replaced by the SST SST The acronym SST may refer to:In aircraft and naval vehiclesScaled Composites SpaceShipTwoSST class blimp SS class blimp*Supersonic transport , civil aircraft for transporting passengers faster than the speed of sound....
Hida Domeless Solar Telescope
60 cm	1979–	Takayama, Gifu Takayama, Gifu is a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of July, 2011 the city has an estimated population of 92,369. The total area is .Takayama was settled as far back as the Jōmon period. Takayama is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Udaipur Solar Observatory Udaipur Solar Observatory The Udaipur Solar Observatory is in Udaipur, Rajasthan in India on an island in the Fateh Sagar Lake. The sky conditions at Udaipur are quite favourable for solar observations. Since the observatory is situated amidst a large mass of water, air turbulence which occurs due to ground heating by... Full Disk H-alpha Telescope H-alpha Spar Telescope Coudé Telescope		15 cm 25 cm 15 cm	1976–	Udaipur Udaipur Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Big Bear Solar Observatory Big Bear Solar Observatory The Big Bear Solar Observatory is an astronomical telescopic observatory with main interests in studying the physics of the Sun. The instruments and telescopes of the observatory are designed and employed specifically for studying the activities and phenomena of our solar system's star... , BBS Obs. Big Bear Solar Observatory The Big Bear Solar Observatory is an astronomical telescopic observatory with main interests in studying the physics of the Sun. The instruments and telescopes of the observatory are designed and employed specifically for studying the activities and phenomena of our solar system's star...		65 cm	1969–2006	California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , USA
Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope (ex-VTT), Sacramento Peak		152.4 cm (60")	1969–	New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... , USA
Solar Observatory Tower Meudon Solar Observatory Tower Meudon Solar Observatory Tower Meudon is a 36.47 metre tall tower built of reinforced concrete on the area of Meudon Observatory in Meudon, France, which has in its interior a spectrograph for examination of the sun. Solar Observatory Tower Meudon was built in 1964-65, and is a solar tower, a type of...		60 cm	1968–	Meudon Meudon Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope The McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope is a 1.6-m f/54 reflecting solar telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, USA. The building was designed by Myron Goldsmith and built in 1962. It is the largest telescope of its kind in the world and is named for astronomers Robert McMath and Keith... , KPO Kitt Peak National Observatory The Kitt Peak National Observatory is a United States astronomical observatory located on 2,096 m Kitt Peak of the Quinlan Mountains in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert on the Tohono O'odham Nation, southwest of Tucson...		161 cm	1961–	Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... , USA		Largest aperture solar telescope
ARIES Observatory Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences is one of the leading research Institutes which specializes in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Atmospheric Sciences...	-	15 cm	1961–	Nainital, India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Locarno Gregory Coude Telescope (GCT)		45 cm	1959–2002	Tenerife Tenerife Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... (1984–2002) Locarno Locarno Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... (1959–1984)		Replaced by GREGOR
Solar Tunnel Telescope, Kodaikanal Solar Observatory Kodaikanal Solar Observatory The Kodaikanal Solar Observatory is an solar observatory owned and operated by Indian Institute of Astrophysics. It is located on the southern tip of the Palni Hills 4 km from Kodaikanal town, Dindigul district, Tamilnadu state, South India....		61 cm (24 in)	1958–	Kodaikanal Kodaikanal -Climate:Kodaikanal has a monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate . The temperatures are cool throughout the year due to the high elevation of the city.-Economy:... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
McMath-Hulbert Observatory McMath-Hulbert Observatory The McMath-Hulbert Solar Observatory is a decommissioned solar observatory in Lake Angelus, Michigan, USA. It was established in 1929 as a private observatory by father and son Francis Charles McMath and Robert Raynolds McMath and their friend, Judge Henry Hulbert...	-	61 cm (24")	1941–1979	Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... , USA
50-foot tower, McMath-Hulbert Observatory	-	40 cm	1936–1979	Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... , USA
10.5 inch, McMath-Hulbert Observatory	-	26.7 cm (10.5")	1930–1941	Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... , USA		Replaced by the 24 inch
Solar Tower Telescope by Zeiss	-	45 cm	1930–end	Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...		Einsteinturm clone
Einsteinturm Einstein Tower The Einstein Tower is an astrophysical observatory in the Albert Einstein Science Park in Potsdam, Germany built by Erich Mendelsohn. It was built on the summit of the Potsdam Telegraphenberg to house a solar telescope designed by the astronomer Erwin Finlay-Freundlich...		60 cm	1924–	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.... , 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...
Snow Solar Telescope, Mount Wilson Observatory Mount Wilson Observatory The Mount Wilson Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a 5,715 foot peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles...	-	61 cm (24")	1904–	California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , USA		first solar tower Solar tower A solar tower, in the context of astronomy, is a structure used to support equipment for studying the sun, and is typically part of solar telescope designs. Generically, the term solar tower has many more uses especially for a type of power production using Earth's Sun... telescope
Lerebour/Grubb-Parsons, Kodaikanal Solar Observatory Kodaikanal Solar Observatory The Kodaikanal Solar Observatory is an solar observatory owned and operated by Indian Institute of Astrophysics. It is located on the southern tip of the Palni Hills 4 km from Kodaikanal town, Dindigul district, Tamilnadu state, South India....		20 cm	1901–	Kodaikanal Kodaikanal -Climate:Kodaikanal has a monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate . The temperatures are cool throughout the year due to the high elevation of the city.-Economy:... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...	(1947- ) (1901–1950)

Telescopes for the sun have existed for hundreds of years, this list is not complete and only goes back to 1900.

Other types of solar telescopes

There are much smaller commercial and/or amateur telescopes such as Coronado Filters from founder and designer David Lunt, bought by Meade Instruments in 2004 and sells SoloarMax solar telescopes up to 8 cm

Most solar observatories observe optically at visible, UV, and near infrared wavelengths, but other things can be observed.

CERN Axion Solar Telescope(CAST), looks for solar axions in the early 2000s
Multi-spectral solar telescope array (MSSTA
MSSTA
The Multi-spectral solar telescope array, or MSSTA, was a sounding rocket payload built by Professor A.B.C. Walker, Jr. at Stanford University in the 1990s to test EUV/XUV imaging of the Sun using normal incidence EUV-reflective multilayer optics...

), a rocket launched payload of UV telecopes in the 1990s
Leoncito Astronomical Complex
Leoncito Astronomical Complex
The Leoncito Astronomical Complex is an astronomical observatory in the San Juan Province of Argentina. The Leoncito Astronomical Complex is one of two observatories located within El Leoncito National Park, located in an area of the country which rarely sees cloud cover. The other facility is the...

, has a submillimeter wavelength solar telescope.
Owens Valley Solar Array
Owens Valley Solar Array
The Owens Valley Solar Array is a astronomical radio telescope array with main interests in studying the physics of the Sun. The instruments of the observatory are designed and employed specifically for studying the activities and phenomena of our solar system's sun...

, for solar radio observation

Large Solar Telescopes after 1900

Other types of solar telescopes

Further reading

See also