Large Binocular Telescope

Large Binocular Telescope
Alternative namesFirst Light Edit this at Wikidata
Part ofMount Graham International Observatory
Steward Observatory Edit this on Wikidata
Location(s)Mount Graham, Graham County, Arizona
Coordinates32°42′05″N 109°53′21″W / 32.701308°N 109.889064°W / 32.701308; -109.889064 Edit this at Wikidata
Observatory code G83 Edit this on Wikidata
Altitude3,221 m (10,568 ft) Edit this at Wikidata
First light12 October 2005 Edit this on Wikidata
Telescope styleoptical telescope
double telescope Edit this on Wikidata
Diameter8.4 m (27 ft 7 in) Edit this at Wikidata
Collecting area111 m2 (1,190 sq ft) Edit this at Wikidata
Focal length9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) Edit this at Wikidata
Mountingaltazimuth mount Edit this on Wikidata
Websitewww.lbto.org Edit this at Wikidata
Large Binocular Telescope is located in the United States
Large Binocular Telescope
Location of Large Binocular Telescope
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The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is an optical telescope for astronomy located on 10,700-foot (3,300 m) Mount Graham, in the Pinaleno Mountains of southeastern Arizona, United States. It is a part of the Mount Graham International Observatory.

When using both 8.4 m (330 inch) wide mirrors, with centres 14.4 m apart, the LBT has the same light-gathering ability as an 11.8 m (464 inch) wide single circular telescope and the resolution of a 22.8 m (897 inch) wide one.[1]

The LBT mirrors individually are the joint second-largest optical telescope in continental North America, next to the Hobby–Eberly Telescope in West Texas. It has the largest monolithic, or non-segmented, mirror in an optical telescope.

Strehl ratios of 60–90% in the infrared H band and 95% in the infrared M band have been achieved by the LBT.[2]

  1. ^ "Giant telescope opens both eyes". BBC News. March 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference physorg.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).