List of large optical telescopes
This is a list of large optical reflecting telescopes. For telescopes larger than 3 meters in aperture see List of largest optical reflecting telescopes. This list combines large or expensive reflecting telescopes from any era, as what constitutes famous reflector has changed over time. In 1900 a 1-meter reflector would be among the largest in the world, but by 2000, would be relatively common for professional observatories.
Large reflectors and catadioptric
See List of largest optical reflecting telescopes for continuation of list to larger scopes| Name | Image | Aperture | Mirror type | Nationality / Sponsors | Site | Built |
| Harlan J. Smith Telescope | Single | USA | McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA | 1969 | ||
| UBC-Laval LMT | Liquid | Canada | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 1992–2016 | ||
| Shajn 2.6m "Crimean 102 in." | Single | Crimean Astrophysical Obs., Russia/Ukraine | 1961 | |||
| VLT Survey Telescope | Single | Italy + ESO countries | Paranal Observatory, Antofagasta Region, Chile | 2007 | ||
| BAO 2.6 | Single | Byurakan Astrophysical Obs., Mt. Aragatz, Armenia | 1976 | |||
| Nordic Optical Telescope | Single | Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Finland | ORM, Canary Islands, Spain | 1988 | ||
| Javalambre Survey Telescope | Single | International | Javalambre Observatory, Spain | TBA | ||
| Isaac Newton Telescope | Single | UK | ORM, Canary Islands, Spain | 1984 | ||
| Irenee du Pont Telescope | Single | USA | Las Campanas Observatory, Coquimbo Region, Chile | 1976 | ||
| Hooker 100-Inch Telescope | Single | USA | Mt. Wilson Observatory, California, USA | 1917 | ||
| 2,5 | Single | Russia | , Russia | 2014 | ||
| SOFIA | Single | USA + Germany | Boeing 747SP | 2007 | ||
| Sloan DSS | Single | USA | Apache Point Observatory, New Mexico, USA | 1997 | ||
| Hiltner Telescope | Single | USA | MDM Observatory, Arizona, USA | 1986 | ||
| Thai National Telescope | Single | Thailand + SEAAN | Thai National Observatory, Doi Inthanon, Thailand | 2013 | ||
| Lijiang | Single | China | Yunnan Astronomical Observatory, China | 2008 | ||
| Hubble | Single | NASA+ESA | Low Earth orbit | 1990 | ||
| 2.4-meter SINGLE Telescope | Single | USA | Magdalena Ridge Observatory, New Mexico, USA | 2006/2008 | ||
| Automated Planet Finder | Single | USA | Lick Observatory, California, USA | 2010 | ||
| Vainu Bappu | Single | India | Vainu Bappu Observatory, Tamil Nadu, India | 1986 | ||
| Aristarchos | Single | ESO Countries+ Greece | National Observatory of Athens, Mt. Helmos, Greece | 2004 | ||
| WIRO 2.3 | Single IR | USA | Wyoming Infrared Observatory, Wyoming, USA | 1977 | ||
| ANU 2.3m ATT | Single | Siding Spring Observatory, New South Wales, Australia | 1984 | |||
| Bok Telescope | Single | USA | Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona, USA | 1969 | ||
| University of Hawaii 2.2 m | Single | USA | Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii, USA | 1970 | ||
| MPIA-ESO | Single | West Germany | La Silla Observatory, Coquimbo Region, Chile | 1984 | ||
| MPIA-CAHA 2.2m | Single | West Germany | Calar Alto Observatory, Almería, Spain | 1979 | ||
| Xinglong 2.16m | Single | PRC | Xinglong, China | 1989 | ||
| Jorge Sahade 2.15m | Single | Leoncito Astronomical Complex, San Juan Province, Argentina | 1987 | |||
| INAOE 2.12 | Single | Mexico + USA | Guillermo Haro Observatory, Sonora, Mexico | 1987 | ||
| UNAM 2.12 | Single | National Astronomical Observatory, Baja California, Mexico | 1979 | |||
| Kitt Peak 2.1-meter | Single | USA | Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona, USA | 1964 | ||
| Otto Struve Telescope | Single | USA | McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA | 1939 | ||
| T13 Automated Spectroscopic Telescope | Single | USA | Fairborn Observatory, Arizona, USA | 2003 | ||
| Himalayan Chandra Telescope | Single | Indian Astronomical Observatory, India | 2000 | |||
| Alfred Jensch Teleskop | Single | Ger | Karl Schwarzschild Observatory, Germany | 1960 | ||
| Carl Zeiss Jena | Single | Shamakhi Astrophysical Obs., Azerbaijan | 1966 | |||
| Ondřejov 2-m | Single | Czechoslovakia | Ondřejov Observatory, Czech | 1967 | ||
| Ritchey-Chretien-Coude | Single | Bulgaria | Rozhen Observatory, Bulgaria | 1984 | ||
| Carl Zeiss Jena | Single | Ukraine, Russia | , Russia | 1995 | ||
| Bernard Lyot Telescope | Single | France | Pic du Midi Obs., France | 1980 | ||
| Liverpool Telescope | Single | UK | ORM, Canary Islands, Spain | 2003 | ||
| Faulkes Telescope North | Single | UK | Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, USA | 2003 | ||
| Faulkes Telescope South | Single | UK | Siding Spring Observatory, New South Wales, Australia | 2001 | ||
| NAYUTA | Single | Japan | Nishi-Harima Observatory, Hyogo, Japan | 2004 | ||
| MAGNUM | Single IR | Japan | Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, USA | 2001–2008 | ||
| Fraunhofer-Teleskop | Ger | Observatorium Wendelstein, Deutschland | 2012 |
Selected telescopes below about 2 meters aperture
A non-comprehensive non-exclusionary list of telescopes one yard to less than 2 metres in aperture.| Name | Aperture m | Aper. in | Mirror type | Nationality of Sponsors | Site | Built |
| OHP 1.93 | 1.93 m | 76″ | Single | France | Haute-Provence Observatory, France | 1958 |
| 74 inch Radcliffe Telescope | 1.88 m | 74″ | Single | South African Astronomical Observatory Sutherland Radcliffe Observatory, Pretoria, South Africa | 1950 | |
| 1.88 m telescope | 1.88 m | 74″ | Single | Japan | Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, Japan | 1960 |
| DDO 1.88 m | 1.88 m | 74″ | Single | Canada | David Dunlap Observatory, Ontario, Canada | 1935 |
| 74" reflector | 1.88 m | 74″ | Single | Australia | Mount Stromlo Observatory, Australian Capital Territory, Australia | 1955–2003 |
| Kottamia telescope 1.88 m | 1.88 m | 74″ | Single | Egypt | Egypt | 1960 |
| SETI Optical Telescope | 1.83 m | 72″ | Single | USA | Oak Ridge Observatory, Massachusetts, USA | 2006 |
| Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope | 1.83 m | 72″ | Single | Vatican City | Mount Graham International Observatory, Arizona, USA | 1993 |
| 72-Inch Perkins Telescope | 1.83 m | 72″ | Single | USA | Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA | 1964 |
| Plaskett telescope | 1.83 m | 72″ | Single | Canada | Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, British Columbia, Canada | 1918 |
| Leviathan of Parsonstown | 1.83 m | 72″ | Metal | Great Britain | Birr Castle; Ireland Historical recreation | 1845 |
| Copernico 1.82 m | 1.82 m | 72″ | Single | Italy | Asiago Observatory, Italy | 1976 |
| 1.8 meter telescope | 1.80 m | 71″ | Single | China | Gaomeigu site of Yunnan Astronomical Observatory, China | 2009 |
| Pan-STARRS PS1 | 1.8 m | 71″ | Single | Germany, Taiwan, US, UK | Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, USA | 2007 |
| VLT Auxiliary Telescopes | 1.80 m | 71″ | Single | Europe | Paranal Observatory, Antofagasta Region, Chile | 2006 |
| Spacewatch 1.8-meter Telescope | 1.80 m | 71″ | Single | USA | Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona, USA | 2001 |
| 1.8m Ritchey Cretien reflector | 1.80 m | 72″ | Single | Korea | Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory, Korea | 1996 |
| Sandy Cross Telescope | 1.80 m | 71″ | Single | Canada | Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, Alberta, Canada | 1996 |
| Largest amateur telescope in 2013 | 1.778 m | 70″ | Single | USA | Utah, USA | 2013 |
| 69-inch Perkins Telescope | 1.75 m | 69″ | Single | USA | Perkins Observatory, Ohio, USA | 1931–1964 |
| 1.65 m telescope | 1.65 m | 65″ | Single | Moletai Astronomical Obs., Lithuania | 1991 | |
| McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope | 1.61 m | 63″ | Single | USA | Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona, USA | 1962 |
| BBO NST | 1.60 m | 63″ | Solar | USA | Big Bear Solar Observatory, California, USA | 2009 |
| AZT-33 | 1.60 m | 63″ | Single | , Siberia, Russia | 1981 | |
| 1.6 m Perkin Elmer | 1.60 m | 63″ | Single | Brazil | Pico dos Dias Observatory, Minas Gerais, Brazil | 1981 |
| Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic | 1.60 m | 63″ | Single IR | Canada | Mont Mégantic Observatory, Québec, Canada | 1978 |
| 1.56m optical telescope | 1.56 m | 62″ | Single | China | Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, China | 1988 |
| Kaj Strand Telescope | 1.55 m | 61″ | Single | USA | USNO Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA | 1964 |
| 61" Kuiper Telescope | 1.55 m | 61″ | Single | USA | Steward Observatory, Arizona, USA | 1965 |
| Oak Ridge Observatory 61" reflector | 1.55 m | 61″ | Single | USA | Oak Ridge Observatory, Massachusetts, USA | 1933 |
| Estación Astrofísica de Bosque Alegre | 1.54 m | 60.6″ | Single | Argentina | Estación Astrofísica de Bosque Alegre, Argentina | 1942 |
| Toppo Telescope No.1 | 1.537 m | 60.5″ | Single | Italy | Astronomical Observatory of Castelgrande, Italy | 2008 |
| Harvard 60-inch Reflector | 1.524 m | 60″ | Single | USA | Harvard College Observatory, Massachusetts, USA | 1905–1931 |
| Hale 60-Inch Telescope | 1.524 m | 60″ | Single | USA | Mt. Wilson Observatory, California, USA | 1908 |
| Dunn Solar Telescope ex-VTT | 1.524 m | 60″ | Single | USA | National Solar Observatory, New Mexico, USA | 1969 |
| FLWO 1.5m Tillinghast | 1.52 m | 60″ | Single | USA | F. L. Whipple Observatory, Arizona | 1994 |
| Telescopio Carlos Sánchez | 1.52 m | 60″ | Single | UK + Spain | Teide Observatory, Canary Islands, Spain | 1971 |
| OHP 1.52 | 1.52 m | 60″ | Single | France | Haute-Provence Obs., France | 1967 |
| Mt. Lemmon 60" Dahl-Kirkham Telescope | 1.52 m | 60″ | Single IR | USA | Steward Obs., Arizona, USA | 1970 |
| Steward Observatory 60" Cassegrain Telescope | 1.52 m | 60″ | Single | USA | Steward Obs., Arizona, USA | 1960s |
| OAN 1.52 m | 1.52 m | 60″ | Single | Spain | Calar Alto Observatory, Almería, Spain | 1970s |
| 1.52 m G.D. Cassini | 1.52 m | 60″ | Single | Italy | Mount Orzale, Italy | 1976 |
| TIRGO Gornergrat Infrared Telescope | 1.50 m | 59″ | Single IR | Italy + Switzerland | Hochalpine Forschungsstation Jungfraujoch und Gornergrat, Alps, Switzerland | 1979–2005 |
| AZT-22 | 1.50 m | 59″ | Single | Mount Maidanak, Uzbekistan | 1972 | |
| RTT150 | 1.50 m | 59″ | Single | Russia + Turkey | TUBITAK National Obs., Turkey | |
| AZT-20 | 1.50 m | 59″ | Single | Assy-Turgen Observatory, Kazakhstan | ||
| AZT-12 | 1.50 m | 59″ | Single | USSR | Tartu Observatory, Estonia | 1976 |
| Hexapod-Telescope | 1.50 m | 59″ | Single | Germany | Cerro Armazones Observatory, Antofagasta Region, Chile | 2005 |
| OSN 1.5m | 1.50 m | 59″ | Single | Spain | Sierra Nevada Observatory, Granada, Spain | |
| Persona-1 | 1.50 m | 59″ | Korsch | Russia | Earth Orbit | 2008 |
| GREGOR solar/night telescope | 1.50 m | 59″ | Single | Germany | Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Spain | 2012 |
| IRSF 1.4m | 1.40 m | Single | Sutherland, South Africa Astronomical Observatory | 2000 | ||
| TCC | 1.40 m | Single | 38°10'12"N 20°36'36"E | 2010 | ||
| ESO Coudé Auxiliary Telescope | 1.40 m | Single | La Silla, Chile | 1981 | ||
| SkyMapper | 1.35 m | 53.15″ | Single | Australia | Siding Spring Observatory, New South Wales, Australia | 2008 |
| USNOFS 1.3m | 1.30 m | 51″ | Single | USA | USNO Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA | 1998 |
| 1.30 m | Single | Greece | Skinakas Observatory, Island of Crete, Greece | 1995 | ||
| McGraw-Hill Telescope | 1.27 m | 50″ | Single | USA | MDM Observatory, Arizona, USA Dexter, Michigan, USA | 1969 |
| 1.26m infrared telescope | 1.26 m | 49.5" | Single | China | Xinglong Station, China | 1991 |
| Herschel 40-foot | 1.26 m | 49.5″ | Metal | Great Britain + Ireland | Observatory House; England | 1789–1815 |
| AZT-11 | 1.25 m | 49″ | Single | Abastumani Observatory, Rep. of Georgia | 1976 | |
| AZT-11 | 1.25 m | 49″ | Single | Crimean Astrophysical Obs., Russia/Ukraine | 1981 | |
| MPIA 1.2 | 1.23 m | 48.4″ | Single | West Germany+Spain | Calar Alto Obs., Alemíra, Spain | 1975 |
| T-122 | 1.22 m | 48″ | Schmidt | Turkey | ÇOMÜ Ulupınar Observatory, Çanakkale, Turkey | 2002 |
| Babelsberg Zeiss | 1.22 m | 48″ | Single | Germany | Babelsberg Observatory, Berlin, Germany | 1924–1947 |
| Galileo 1.22 m | 1.22 m | 48″ | Single | Italy | Asiago Observatory, Italy | 1942 |
| Samuel Oschin telescope | 1.22 m | 48″ | Schmidt | USA | Palomar Observatory, California, USA | 1948 |
| Great Melbourne Telescope | 1.22 m | 48″ | Metal | Great Britain | Melbourne Observatory, Victoria, Australia | 1878–1889 |
| William Lassell 48-inch | 1.22 m | 48″ | Metal | Great Britain | Malta | 1861–1865 |
| Barabarella | 1.22 m | 48″ | Single | USA | Lowrey Observatory, Texas, USA | 2008 |
| Oskar-Lühning Telescope | 1.20 m | 47″ | Single | Germany | Hamburg Observatory, Germany | 1975 |
| Leonhard Euler Telescope | 1.20 m | 47″ | Single | Switzerland | La Silla Observatory, Coquimbo Region, Chile | 1998 |
| Mercator Telescope | 1.20 m | 47″ | Single | Belgium+Switzerland | ORM, Canary Islands, Spain | 2001 |
| Hamburg Robotic Telescope | 1.20 m | 47″ | Single | Germany | Hamburg-Bergdorf Obs., Germany | 2002 |
| UK Schmidt Telescope | 1.20 m | 47″ | Schmidt | UK | Siding Spring Observatory, New South Wales, Australia | 1973 |
| GeoEye-1 | 1.10 m | 43.3″ | Single | USA | Earth Orbit | 2008 |
| Hänssgen's reflector | 1.07 m | 42″ | Single | Germany | Mobile | 2002 |
| KLENOT | 1.06 m | 42″ | Single | Czech Republic | Kleť Observatory, Czech Republic | 2002 |
| Nickel Telescope | 1.02 m | 40″ | Single | USA | Lick Observatory, California, USA | 1979 |
| UTAS 40-inch | 1.02 m | 40" | R/C | Australia | Mount Canopus, Tasmania, Australia | 1973 |
| George Ritchey 40-inch | 1.02 m | 40″ | R/C | USA | USNO Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA | 1934 |
| Yerkes "41-inch" | 1.02 m | 40″ | Single | USA | Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA | 1968 |
| ZIMLAT | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Single | Switzerland | Zimmerwald Obs., Switzerland | 1997 |
| Meudon Observatory 1m | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Single | France | Meudon Observatory/ Paris Observatory | 1891 |
| Lulin One-meter Telescope | 1.00 m | 39.4" | Single | Taiwan | Lulin Observatory, Taiwan | 2002 |
| Wise one-meter telescope | 1.00 m | 39.4" | single | Israel | Wise Observatory, Israel | 1973 |
| SAAO 1-meter Elizabeth Telescope | 1.00m | 39.4″ | Single | South Africa | South African Astronomical Observatory Cape Town, South Africa Sutherland, South Africa | 1962 |
| Near-Earth Object Survey Telescope | 1.00 m | 39.4" | Single | China | Purple Mountain Observatory, China | 2006 |
| RT 1.00 m | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Tubitak National Observatory | |||
| OGS Telescope | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Single | European Space Agency countries | Teide Observatory, Canary Islands, Spain | 1995 |
| Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Single | UK + Netherlands | Isaac Newton Group, Canary Islands, Spain | 1984 |
| Lulin One-meter Telescope | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Single | ROC | Lulin Observatory, Taiwan | 2002 |
| Zeiss di Merate | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Single | Kingdom of Italy | Merate Obs., Merate, Italy | 1926 |
| T1M | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Cassegrain | France | Lyon Observatory, Saint-Genis-Laval, France | 1970s |
| Zeiss 1m reflector | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Single | Belgium | Royal Obs., Uccle, Belgium | |
| Hamburg Spiegelteleskop | 1.00 m | 39.4″ | Single | Deutsches Reich | Hamburg-Bergdorf Obs., Germany | 1911 |
| Kepler Mission telescope | 0.95 m | 37.4″ | Single | USA | Earth-trailing Orbit | 2009 |
| James Gregory Telescope | 0.94 m | 37" | Single | Great Britain | University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK | 1962 |
| Kuiper Airborne Obs. | 0.914 m | 36″ | Single | USA | C-141 | 1974–1995 |
| Crossley Reflector | 0.914 m | 36″ | Single | US+UK | Lick Observatory, California, USA | 1896 |
| A.A. Common Reflector | 0.914 m | 36″ | Single | Great Britain | Great Britain | 1880–1896 |
| Rosse 36-inch Telescope | 0.914 m | 36″ | Metal | Great Britain | Birr Castle; Ireland | 1826 |
| SMARTS 0.9m Telescope | 0.914 m | 36″ | Single | USA, SMARTS | Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Coquimbo Region, Chile | 1965 |
| Spacewatch 0.9m Telescope | 0.914 m | 36″ | Single | USA | Steward Observatory enclave at Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona, USA | Contracted 1915, Completed 1921 |
| Yapp telescope | 0.914 m | 36″ | Single | U.K. | Royal Observatory, Greenwich +Herstmonceux | 1934-1990 |