List of large optical telescopes

This is a list of large optical 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 Mirrortype 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 (VST) Single Italy + ESO countries Paranal Observatory, Antofagasta Region, Chile 2007 BAO 2.6 Single Byurakan Astrophysical Obs., Mt. Aragatz, Armenia 1976 Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) Single Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Finland ORM, Canary Islands, Spain 1988 Javalambre Survey Telescope (JAST/T250) Single International Javalambre Observatory, Spain (Z32) TBA Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) Single UK ORM, Canary Islands, Spain (RGO, England, UK until '79) 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 Kawkasskaja gornaja observatory GAISCH MGU Single Russia , Russia 2014 SOFIA Single USA + Germany Boeing 747SP (mobile, USA) 2007 Sloan DSS Single USA Apache Point Observatory, New Mexico, USA 1997 Hiltner Telescope Single USA MDM Observatory (Kitt Peak), Arizona, USA 1986 Thai National Telescope (TNT) Single Thailand + SEAAN Thai National Observatory, Doi Inthanon, Thailand 2013 Lijiang Single China Yunnan Astronomical Observatory, China 2008Hubble (HST) Single NASA+ESA Low Earth orbit 19902.4-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 1986Aristarchos Single ESO Countries + Greece Chelmos Observatory, 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 1984Bok Telescope (90-inch) Single USA Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona, USA 1969 University of Hawaii 2.2 m (UH88) Single USA Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii, USA 1970 MPIA-ESO (ESO-MPI) 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 (China) Xinglong, China 1989 Jorge Sahade 2.15m Single Leoncito Astronomical Complex, San Juan Province, Argentina 1987 INAOE 2.12 (OAGH) Single Mexico + USA Guillermo Haro Observatory, Sonora, Mexico 1987 UNAM 2.12 Single National Astronomical Observatory, Baja California, Mexico 1979 Fraunhofer-Teleskop Ger Observatorium Wendelstein, Deutschland 2012 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 (NASA, NSF, & TSU) Fairborn Observatory, Arizona, USA 2003 Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) Single Indian Astronomical Observatory, India 2000 Alfred-Jensch-Teleskop Single East Germany 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 (RCC) Single Bulgaria Rozhen Observatory, Bulgaria 1984 Carl Zeiss Jena Single Ukraine, Russia , Russia 1995 Bernard Lyot Telescope Single France Pic du Midi Obs., France 1980Liverpool Telescope Single UK ORM, Canary Islands, Spain 2003Faulkes Telescope North Single UK Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, USA 2003Faulkes 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

Selected telescopes below about 2 meters aperture A non-comprehensive non-exclusionary list of telescopes one yard to less than 2 metres in aperture.