The term telescope literally means "looking far away." Modern optical-type devices allow astronomers to study our solar system, as well as discover new planets that are beyond its borders. The top ten below includes the most powerful telescopes in the world.
10. BTA
BTA opens the rating of the most powerful telescopes, which has one of the largest monolithic mirrors in the world. This giant, built in the 70s of the last century, still retains advantages in terms of the largest astronomical dome. A mirror with a diameter of more than 6 meters is made in the form of a paraboloid of revolution. Its mass is forty-two tons, if you do not take into account the weight of the frame. The total mass of this giant is 850 tons. The chief designer of BTA is B.K. Ionisani. The reflective mirror coating was made of unprotected aluminum. The working layer requires replacement every ten years.
9. Giant Magellanic Telescope
Giant Magellanic Telescope one of the ten largest and most powerful in the world. Full completion of its construction is planned for 2020. To collect the light, a system will be used that includes seven primary mirrors, each of which will become the owner of a diameter of 8.4 m. The total aperture of the device will correspond to a telescope having a mirror more than 24 m in diameter. MHT is supposed to be several times more powerful than all modern telescopes. It is planned that MHT will become the most powerful and will help to discover many new exoplanets.
8. Gemini South and Gemini North
Gemini South and Gemini North are a complex that includes two telescopes, eight meters high. They are designed to provide complete unhindered coverage of the firmament and are located at different peaks. These are one of the most powerful and advanced infrared optical telescopes to date. Devices provide the most accurate images, which is achieved using spectroscopy and adaptive optics. Telescopes are often controlled remotely. Devices are actively involved in the search for exoplanets.
7. Subaru
Subaru - One of the most powerful telescopes in the world, created by Japanese scientists. It is located on the top of the Mauna Kea volcano. It has one of the largest monolithic mirrors in the world with a diameter of more than eight meters. Subaru is able to detect planets that do not belong to our solar system, and can also determine their size by examining planetary light and detect gases that predominate in the atmosphere of exoplanets.
6. Hobby-Eberly Telescope
Hobby-eberly telescope one of the ten most powerful telescopes today with a diameter of the main mirror exceeding nine meters. When creating it, many innovations were used, which is one of the main advantages of this device. The main mirror includes 91 elements that function as a whole. Hobbies - Eberly is used both to study our solar system, and to study extragalactic objects. With his help, several exoplanets were discovered.
5. SALT
SALT - The full name sounds like Southern African Large Telescope. The optical device has a large main mirror, the diameter of which is eleven meters and consists of an array of mirrors. It is located on a hill with a height of almost 1.8 km near the province of Sutherland. Using this device, experts in the field of astronomy conduct research on nearby galaxies and find new planets. This most powerful astronomical device allows for various analyzes of the radiation of astronomical objects.
4. LBT
Lbt or Large Binocular Telescope in Russian means Big Binocular Telescope. It is one of the most technologically advanced devices that has the highest optical resolution in the world. It is located at an altitude of more than 3 kilometers on a mountain called Graham. The device includes a pair of huge parabolic-type mirrors with a diameter of 8.4 m. They are mounted on a common mount, hence the name “binocular”. In its power, an astronomical instrument is equivalent to a telescope with one mirror having a diameter of more than 11 meters. Due to its unusual structure, the device is capable of delivering images of one object simultaneously through different filters. This is one of its main advantages, because thanks to this, you can significantly reduce the time to get all the necessary information.
3. Keck I and Keck II
Keck I and Keck II located on the very top of Mauna Kea, whose height exceeds 4 kilometers above sea level. These astronomical instruments are capable of operating in the interferometer mode, which is used in astronomy for high-resolution telescopes. They can replace a telescope with a large aperture with a lattice of devices with the smallest apertures, which are connected by the principle of an interferometer. Each of the mirrors consists of thirty-six small hexagonal ones. Their total diameter is ten meters. Telescopes were created according to the Richie - Chretien system. Twin devices are managed from the offices of Waimea headquarters. It is thanks to these astronomical aggregates that the majority of the planets located outside the solar system were found.
2. GTC
GTC - This abbreviation translated into Russian means the Grand Canary Telescope. The device really has impressive dimensions. This optical reflector telescope has the largest mirror in the world, whose diameter exceeds ten meters. It is made of 36 hexagonal segments, which were obtained from Zerodur glass-crystal materials. This astronomical instrument has active and adaptive optics. It is located at the very top of the extinct volcano Muchachos in the Canary Islands. A feature of the device is the ability to see various objects at a very large distance of a billion weaker than the naked human eye can distinguish.
1. VLT
Vlt or Very Large Telescope, which translated into Russian means "very large telescope." It is a complex of devices of this type. It includes four separate and the same number of optical telescopes. This is the largest optical device in the world in terms of total mirror area. It is also equipped with the highest resolution in the world. An astronomical device is located in Chile at an altitude of more than 2.6 km on a mountain called Cerro Paranal, located in the desert near the Pacific Ocean. Thanks to this powerful telescopic device, a couple of years ago, scientists finally managed to get clear pictures of the planet Jupiter.