Name/Observatory
|
Location at debut
|
Modern location name or fate
|
Lens diameter
|
Focal length
|
Built
|
Comments
|
Image
|
Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900[2] |
Paris 1900 Exposition |
Dismantled 1900 |
125 cm (49.21") |
57 m (187 ft) |
1900 |
Fixed lens, scrapped. Aimed via a 2 m reflecting siderostat |
|
Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope, ORM |
La Palma, Spain |
- |
110 cm (43") total diameter
98 cm (39") clear aperture
|
15 m |
2002 |
Single element non-achromatic objective[3] combined with reflective Adaptive optics and a Schupmann corrector. The lens is 110 cm in diameter stopped down to 98 cm (39"). |
|
Yerkes Observatory[4] |
Williams Bay, Wisconsin, USA |
- |
102 cm (40") |
19.4 m (62 ft) |
1897 |
Largest in current operation.[5] |
|
James Lick telescope Lick Observatory |
Mount Hamilton, California, USA |
- |
91 cm (36") |
17.6 m |
1888[2] |
|
|
Grande Lunette Paris Observatory |
Meudon, France |
- |
83 cm + 62 cm (32.67"+24.41") |
16.2 m |
1891 |
Double telescope |
|
Großer Refraktor Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam |
Potsdam, Deutsches Kaiserreich |
Potsdam, Germany |
80 cm + 50 cm (31.5"+19.5") |
12.0 m |
1899 |
Double telescope by Repsold and Sons, optics by Steinheil |
|
Grande Lunette Nice Observatory |
Nice, France |
since 1988 Côte d'Azur Observatory |
77 cm (30.3")[2][6] |
17.9 m |
1886 |
Bischoffscheim funded |
|
William Thaw Telescope Allegheny Observatory, University of Pittsburgh |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
- |
76 cm (30") |
14.1 m |
1914 |
Brashear made, photographic[7] |
|
Pulkovo observatory |
Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
Destroyed |
76 cm (30") |
12.8 m (42 feet) |
1885 |
Destroyed during WWII, only lens (made by Alvan Clark & Sons) survives. |
|
28-inch Grubb Refractor Royal Greenwich Observatory |
Greenwich, London, Great Britain |
- |
71 cm (28") |
8.5 m |
1894 |
|
|
Rolfscher Refraktor[8] |
Rathenow, Germany |
- |
70 cm (27.6") |
20.8 m |
1949 |
Single element non-achromatic objective with Schupmann corrector. |
|
Großer Refraktor Vienna Observatory |
Vienna, Austrian Empire |
Vienna, Austria |
69 cm (27" ) |
10.5 m |
1880 |
Largest refractor in 1880, by Grubb[9] |
|
Great Treptow Refractor Treptow Observatory |
Berlin, Germany |
- |
68 cm (26.77") |
21 m |
1896 |
renamed Archenhold Observatory 1946 |
|
Innes Telescope
|
Observatory Johannesburg, South Africa
|
Observatory Johannesburg, South Africa
|
67 cm (26.5")
|
11.6 m
|
1909-1925
|
Still in operation for educational purposes. By Grubb
|
|
Yale-Columbia Refractor Yale Southern Station |
Johannesburg, Union of South Africa |
Relocated 1952 |
66 cm (26") |
10.8 m |
1925–1952 |
Yale-Columbia Refractor moved to Mount Stromlo Observatory in 1952, same telescope as following entry. |
|
Yale-Columbia Refractor Mount Stromlo Observatory |
Mount Stromlo, Australia |
Destroyed 2003 |
66 cm (26") |
10.8 m |
1952 |
Yale-Columbia Refractor – previously located in South Africa. Relocated to Australia in 1952. Destroyed by bush fire on January 18, 2003.[10] |
|
Leander McCormick Observatory |
Charlottesville, Virginia, USA |
- |
66 cm (26") |
9.9 m |
1884 |
completed c. 1874, installed 1884 |
|
U.S. Naval Observatory |
Foggy Bottom Washington, DC, USA |
moved to Northwest, Washington, D.C., 1893 |
66 cm (26") |
9.9 m |
1873 |
Largest refractor in 1873. Alvan Clark & Sons mounting replaced with Warner & Swasey mounting in 1893. |
|
Thompson 26-inch Refractor[11] |
Royal Observatory, Greenwich, Great Britain[11][12] |
Equatorial Group, Herstmonceux, Sussex[11] |
66 cm (26")[11] |
6.82 m[11] |
1896 |
Manufactured by Sir Howard Grubb as a gift from Sir Henry Thompson; originally used at Greenwich on the same mount as a 30 inch reflector[12] |
|
Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory |
Llano del Hato, Venezuela |
- |
65 cm (25.6") |
10.6 m |
1955 |
|
|
Belgrade Observatory[13] |
Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia |
Belgrade, Serbia |
65 cm (25.6") |
10.55 m |
1932 |
Zeiss made lens, same as at Berlin Observatory |
|
Hida Observatory |
Gifu, Japan |
- |
65 cm (25.6") |
10.5 m |
1972 |
|
|
65 cm Zeiss Refractor, Pulkovo observatory |
Germany[14] |
Saint Petersburg, Russia |
65 cm (25.6") |
10.413 m |
1954 |
War reparation from Germany[14] In Pulkovo since 1954. |
|
Observatory History Museum Mitaka 65 cm |
Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan |
- |
65 cm (25.6") |
10.21 m |
1929 |
Carl Zeiss Jena |
|
Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory Berliner Sternwarte Babelsberg |
Berlin, Germany |
|
65 cm (26") |
10.12 m (33 ft) |
1914 |
Berlin Observatory just moved to Potsdam-Babelsberg in 1913; Zeiss lens |
|
Newall Refractor[15] National Observatory of Athens |
UK |
Athens, Greece since 1957 |
62.5 cm (24.5") |
8.86 m (29 ft) |
1869 |
Built by Thomas Cooke for Robert Stirling Newall. First located at his estate; donated and relocated to Cambridge Observatory in 1889; donated to Athens Observatory and relocated to Mt. Penteli in Greece in 1957. Currently used only for educational purposes as part of the visitor center. |
|
Craig telescope |
Wandsworth Common, London |
Dismantled 1857 |
61 cm (24") |
24.5 m (80 ft) |
1852 |
Problem with lens figuring[16] |
|
Sproul Observatory |
Pennsylvania, USA |
Dismantled July 2017 |
61 cm (24") |
11.0 m (36 ft) |
1911 |
Currently under restoration to be re-installed in Northwest Arkansas[17] |
|
Lowell Observatory |
Arizona, USA |
- |
61 cm (24") |
9.75 m (32 ft) |
1894 |
Alvan Clark & Sons telescope |
|
Einstein Tower[18] |
Potsdam, Germany |
- |
60 cm (23.6") |
14 m |
1924 |
Tower telescope, fixed lens fed by a heliostat |
|
Zeiss Double Refractor Bosscha Observatory |
Bandung, Dutch East Indies |
Bandung, Indonesia |
60 cm (23.6") |
10.7 m |
1928 |
|
|
Großer Refraktor (Great Refractor)[19]Hamburg Observatory
|
Bergedorf, Germany |
- |
60 cm (23.6") |
9 m |
1911 |
by Repsold and Sons, optics (visual + photographic lens) by Steinheil |
|
Grubb Parsons Double Refractor |
Saltsjöbaden, Sweden |
- |
60 + 50 cm (23.6" + 19.7") |
8.0 m |
1930 |
Stockholm Observatory in Saltsjöbaden |
|
Radcliffe Double Refractor UCL Observatory |
Oxford, UK |
Mill Hill, London |
60 + 45 cm (23.6" + 18") |
7.0 m |
1901 |
Obtained from the Radcliffe Observatory and installed at UCLO (then known as "ULO") in 1938 |
|
Halstead Observatory |
Princeton, USA |
Roper Mountain Science Center,[20] Greenville, SC |
58.4 cm (23") |
9.8 m (32 ft) |
1881 |
by Alvan Clark & Sons |
|
Chamberlin Observatory |
Colorado, USA |
- |
50 cm (20") |
8.5 m (28 ft) |
1891 |
First Light 1894 |
|
Chabot Observatory |
Oakland, California |
Oakland, California, USA (2000) |
50 cm (20") |
8.5 m (28 ft) |
1914 |
"Rachel", Warner & Swazey Company (Optics John A Brashear Company) Refurbished in 2000 and moved to present location. |
|
Van Vleck Observatory |
Connecticut, USA |
- |
50 cm (20") |
8.4 m (27.5 ft) |
1922 |
|
|
Carnegie Double Astrograph Lick Observatory |
Mount Hamilton, California, USA |
Retired? |
50 cm (20") x 2 |
4.67 m (14 ft) |
1941/1962 (2nd lens) |
F7.4 |
|
Merz-Repsold 19 inch telescope Brera Observatory |
Milan, Italy |
Exposed in Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci |
49 cm (19.29") |
7 m (22.97 ft) |
1882 |
Largest refracting telescope in Italy |
|
Imperial Observatory |
Straßburg, German Empire |
Strasbourg, France |
48.5 cm (19.1") |
7 m (23 ft) |
1880[21] |
Then largest in German Empire |
|
18½-in Dearborn Observatory Refractor |
Chicago, USA |
Evanston, USA |
47 cm (18.5") |
|
1862 |
by Alvan Clark & Sons |
|
Luneta 46 Observatório Nacional |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
- |
46 cm (18.4") |
9.7 m |
1921 |
T. Cooke & Sons[22][23] |
|
Wilder Observatory |
Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA |
- |
46 cm (18") |
(25 ft) |
1903 |
by Alvan Clark & Sons |
|
Flower Observatory |
Philadelphia, USA |
Dark Sky Project, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand |
46 cm (18") |
6.7 m (22.6 ft) |
1894 |
by John Brashear |
From 2016 operational at Lake Tekapo, New Zealand.
|
Royal Observatory |
Cape Colony, British Empire |
South Africa |
46 cm (18") |
6.7 m (22.6 ft) |
1897 |
[24] |
|
Cooke-Zeiss Refractor, Royal Observatory of Belgium[25] |
Uccle, Belgium |
- |
45 cm (17.7") |
6.99 m |
1891/1932 |
by Cooke & Sons, original 38 cm lens by Merz replaced by 45 cm lens from Zeiss 1932 |
|
Gran Ecuatorial Gautier Telescope La Plata Astronomical Observatory |
La Plata, Argentina |
- |
43.3 cm (17") |
9,7 m |
1894 |
Gautier |
|
Brashear Refractor, Goodsell Observatory |
Northfield, Minnesota, USA |
- |
41.15 cm (16.2") |
|
1890 |
by John Brashear |
|
Herget Telescope Cincinnati Observatory |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
- |
40.64 cm (16") |
|
1904 |
by Alvan Clark & Sons |
|
Vatican Observatory |
Castel Gandolfo, Italy |
- |
40 cm (16") |
6.0 m |
1881 |
by Zeiss |
|
Dorides Refractor[26] National Observatory of Athens |
Athens, Greece |
Athens, Greece |
40 cm (16") |
5,08 m |
1901 |
by Gautier[27] |
|
Washburn Observatory |
Madison, Wisconsin, USA |
In regular use for education and general public. |
39.5 cm (15.56") |
6.7 m (22.6 ft) |
1881 |
by Alvan Clark & Sons |
|
Dominion Observatory Refractor Dominion Observatory |
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
Moved to Helen Sawyer-Hogg Observatory (Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa) in 1974[28] |
38.1 cm (15") |
571.5 cm |
1905 |
Original achromat doublet by John Brashear replaced with apochomat triplet by Perkin-Elmer in 1958. Currently used for education and outreach. |
|
Lunette Arago Paris Observatory |
Paris, France |
- |
38 cm (15") |
9 m |
1883 |
by Gautier and Henry brothers |
|
Double Refractor Fabra Observatory |
Barcelona, Spain |
- |
38 cm + 38 cm (15" + 15") |
6 m + 4 m |
1904 |
Double telescope by Mailhat, Paris |
|
Gran Ecuatorial Observatorio Astronómico Nacional |
Tacubaya, México |
- |
38 cm (15") |
4.8 m |
1885 |
by Howard Grubb |
|
Harvard Great Refractor Harvard College Observatory[29] |
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |
- |
38 cm (15") |
6.9 m |
1847 |
largest telescope in America for 20 years[30] |
|
Merz & Mahler Refractor, Pulkovo observatory |
Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
Rescued to Leningrad city in WWII (?) |
38 cm (15") |
6.9 m |
1839 |
(original) twin of the Harvard Great Refractor[29] |
|
Lunette coudée Lyon Observatory |
Saint-Genis-Laval, France |
- |
36.6 cm |
7.66 m |
1887 |
Equatorial coudé by Maurice Loewy |
|
Telescopio Amici Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri |
Florence, Italy |
- |
36 cm |
5 m |
1872 |
28 cm lens by G. B. Amici substituted by Zeiss lens in 1926. Currently used only for educational purposes. |
|
Photographic Refractor Leiden Observatory |
Leiden, Netherlands |
- |
34 cm + 15 cm (13.4" + 5.9") |
524 cm |
1897 |
Double telescope by Gautier and Henry brothers |
|
Astrograph Vienna Observatory |
Vienna, Austrian Empire |
Vienna, Austria |
34 cm + 26 cm (13.3" + 10.2") |
3.4 m + 3.4 m |
1885 |
Double telescope by Steinheil |
|
Perth Astrograph, Perth Observatory[31]
|
Old Perth Observatory, Mount Eliza, Western Australia
|
Perth Observatory, Bickley, Western Australia. Used for public education and outreach
|
33 cm (13")
|
3.34 m
|
1897
|
Designed and built by Howard Grubb & Co. Relocated to Bickley ~1966. The original telescope (both camera and guide scopes), mount and dome were re-erected at Bickley
|
|
Fitz-Clark Refractor Allegheny Observatory, University of Pittsburgh |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
- |
32.02 cm (13") |
4.62 |
1861 |
Fitz made, visual/photographic. In 1895 established that Saturn's Rings are made up of particles and not solid.[7] |
|
H. Fitz-H.G. Fitz Refractor Henry Ruthurfurd, Private Observatory |
New York City, USA |
- |
32.02 cm (13") |
4.62 |
1864 |
Fitz made, visual/photographic. Started by Henry, finished by son Henry Giles |
|
Bamberg Refractor Urania Observatory (Berlin) |
Berlin-Moabit, Prussia |
Berlin, Germany |
31.4 cm (12.36") |
5 m |
1889 |
then biggest in Prussia, moved to Insulaner Wilhelm Foerster Observatory in 1963[32] |
|
H. Fitz 12.6" refractor
Detroit Observatory in Ann Arbor
|
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
|
|
32 cm (12.6 in) 32 cm
|
508 cm (200")
|
1857
|
The telescopes were restored to functionality as part of the University of Michigan's 2009 International Year of Astronomy celebration. Viewing nights and open houses[33] have been running since then.
|
|
Grubb refractor, Keele Observatory[34]
|
Oxford, England
|
Keele University, England (since 1962),
in use for the public
|
31.0 cm (12.25")
|
4.39 m
|
1874
|
Still awaiting the reunion with its 19th-century camera used in the Carte du Ciel project and to prove Einstein's general relativity theory during the 1919 solar eclipse.
|
|
South Telescope, Dunsink Observatory
|
Dublin, Ireland
|
Dublin, Ireland
|
30 cm (12")
|
|
1868
|
by Grubb, the telescope is still used for various outreach activities
|
|
Northumberland Telescope,[35] Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge University
|
Cambridge, England
|
Still in use by Cambridge University Astronomical Society and Cambridge Astronomical Association
|
30 cm (12")
|
5.95m
|
1833
|
Original lens 11.6" made by Cauchoix of Paris, replaced on 150th anniversary by 12" lens designed by R.V. Willstrop,[36] and made by A.E. Optics of Cambridge.[37]
|
|
Urania Sternwarte (Zurich) |
Zurich, Switzerland |
- |
30 cm (12") |
5.05 m |
1907 |
by Zeiss |
|
Griffith Observatory |
Los Angeles |
- |
30 cm (12") |
5.03 m |
1931 |
by Zeiss |
|
Clark-Refraktor[38] Vienna Observatory |
Vienna, Austrian Empire |
Vienna, Austria |
30 cm (12") |
5.06 m |
1880 |
by Clark and Sons |
|
Deutsches Museum |
Munich, Germany |
- |
30 cm (12") |
5.0 m |
1924 |
by Zeiss |
|
Ladd Observatory, Brown University |
Providence, Rhode Island, USA |
Still in use for instruction and public education |
30 cm (12") |
4.6 m (15 ft) |
1891 |
Lens designed by Charles S. Hastings and made by John Brashear; telescope mount by George N. Saegmuller |
|
Irving Porter Church Memorial Telescope Fuertes Observatory, Cornell University |
Ithaca, New York |
Still used for instruction and public outreach. |
30 cm (12") |
4.57 m (15 ft) |
1922 |
Optics by John Brashear, mounting by Warner & Swasey. |
|
Jewett Observatory |
Pullman, Washington, USA |
Used for instruction and pleasure |
30 cm (12") |
4.57 m (15 ft) |
1953[39] |
Lens assembled in 1887-1889 by Alvan Clark & Sons |
|
Silesian Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory |
Katowice/Chorzów, Silesia, Poland |
|
30 cm (12")[40] |
4.5 m |
1955 |
Largest and oldest Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory in Poland.[41] The 3rd largest in Eastern Europe (east of Germany), after Pulkovo Observatory in Saint Petersburg, Russia and Belgrade Observatory in Belgrade, Serbia |
|
University of Illinois Observatory |
Urbana, Illinois, USA |
Used for instruction and pleasure |
30 cm (12") |
4.57 m (15 ft) |
1896 |
by John Brashear, National Historic Landmark, still used for instruction |
|
Equatorial Refractor Sydney Observatory |
Sydney, Australia |
Still in use for education and public outreach |
28.956cm (11.4") |
- |
1874 |
by Hugo Schroeder, used to view transit of Venus that occurred on 9 December 1874 |
|
Mitchel Telescope Cincinnati Observatory |
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA |
- |
28 cm (11") |
|
1843 |
Merz & Mahler; Oldest professional telescope still used weekly by the public[42] |
|
Brashear Refractor Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
- |
28 cm (11") |
|
1910 |
John Brashear, Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh[43]
|
Great Refractor Kuffner Observatory |
Vienna, Austria |
- |
27 cm + 15.6 cm (10.6" + 6.1") |
350 cm + 294 cm |
1884 + 1890 |
Double telescope by Repsold and Sons, optics by Steinheil |
|
Repsold Refractor (10-duims) Leiden Observatory |
Leiden, Netherlands |
- |
26.6 cm (10.5") |
399,5 cm |
1885 |
Repsold and Sons, optics by Alvan Clark & Sons |
|
Äquatoreal (Equatorial)[44] Hamburg Observatory |
Millerntor Observatory, Hamburg, Germany |
Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany |
26 cm (10.2") |
3 m |
1867 |
Repsold and Sons, optics by G. & S. Merz |
|
Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory |
Western University London, Ontario, Canada |
- |
25.4 cm (10") |
4.386 m (172") |
1940 |
by Perkin-Elmer Corp. Glass from Chance Brothers. |
|
Mills Observatory |
|
Dundee, Scotland (1951) |
25 cm (10") |
|
1871 |
by T. Cooke & Sons. Training telescope at St. Andrews 1938–1951 |
|
Coats Observatory |
|
Paisley, Scotland (1898) |
25 cm (10") |
|
1898 |
by Howard Grubb. Replaced 5" refractor by Thomas Cooke, installed in 1883. |
|
Blackett Observatory |
Marlborough College Wiltshire, England |
- |
25 cm (10") |
|
1860 |
by Thomas Cooke. |
-
|
Quito Astronomical Observatory |
Quito |
La Alameda park |
24 cm (9.6") |
|
1875 |
An operational 1875 Merz telescope and one of the Oldest Observatories in South America, founded in 1873. |
|
Fraunhofer Refractor, United States Naval Observatory (Foggy Bottom) |
Foggy Bottom, D.C., USA |
|
24.4 cm (9.6") |
|
1844 [45]
|
Fraunhofer-Refraktor Berlin Observatory |
Berlin-Kreuzberg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation |
Moved 1913 to Munich, Germany |
24 cm (9.6") |
4 m (13.4′) |
1835 |
Used to discover Neptune; in Deutsches Museum, München since 1913[46] |
|
Great Dorpat Refractor (Fraunhofer) Dorpat/Tartu Observatory (Old Building) |
Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia |
Tartu, Estonia |
24 cm (9.6") |
4 m (13.4′) |
1824 |
"...the first modern, achromatic, refracting telescope."[47][48] |
|