Continuation of the review of the largest telescopes in the world, begun in
The diameter of the main mirror is over 6 meters.
See also the location of the largest telescopes and observatories on
Multimirror Telescope
The tower of the Multimirror Telescope with Comet Hale-Bopp in the background. Mount Hopkins (USA).Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT). Located in the observatory "Mount Hopkins" in the state of Arizona, (USA) on Mount Hopkins at an altitude of 2606 meters. The mirror diameter is 6.5 meters. Started working with the new mirror on May 17, 2000.
In fact, this telescope was built in 1979, but then its lens was made of six mirrors of 1.8 meters each, which is equivalent to one mirror with a diameter of 4.5 meters. At the time of construction, it was the third most powerful telescope in the world after BTA-6 and Hale (see previous post).
Years passed, technology improved, and already in the 90s it became clear that by investing a relatively small amount of money, it was possible to replace 6 separate mirrors with one large one. Moreover, this will not require significant changes in the design of the telescope and tower, and the amount of light collected by the lens will increase by as much as 2.13 times.
Multiple Mirror Telescope before (left) and after (right) reconstruction. This work was completed by May 2000. A 6.5 meter mirror was installed, as well as systems active And adaptive optics. This is not a solid, but a segmented mirror, consisting of precisely fitted 6-angle segments, so the name of the telescope did not have to be changed. Is that sometimes they began to add the prefix "new".
The new MMT, in addition to seeing 2.13 times fainter stars, has a 400 times larger field of view. So, the work was clearly not in vain.
Active and adaptive optics
System active optics allows, with the help of special drives installed under the main mirror, to compensate for the deformation of the mirror during the rotation of the telescope.
Adaptive optics, by tracking the distortion of the light of artificial stars in the atmosphere, created using lasers, and the corresponding curvature of auxiliary mirrors, compensates for atmospheric distortion.
Magellan telescopes
Telescopes of Magellan. Chile. Located at a distance of 60 m from each other, they can work in the interferometer mode. Magellan Telescopes- two telescopes - "Magellan-1" and "Magellan-2", with mirrors of 6.5 meters in diameter. Located in Chile, at the observatory "Las Campanas" at an altitude of 2400 km. In addition to the common name, each of them also has its own name - the first, named after the German astronomer Walter Baade, began work on September 15, 2000, the second, named after Landon Clay, an American philanthropist, went into operation on September 7, 2002.
Las Campanas Observatory is located two hours by car from the city of La Serena. This is a very good place for the location of the observatory, both due to a fairly high altitude above sea level, and due to the remoteness from settlements and sources of dust. Two twin telescopes "Magellan-1" and "Magellan-2", operating both separately and in the interferometer mode (as a whole) are currently the main instruments of the observatory (there are also one 2.5-meter and two 1- meter reflectors).
Giant Magellanic Telescope (GMT). Project. The implementation date is 2016.On March 23, 2012, the construction of the Giant Magellanic Telescope (GMT) was started by a spectacular explosion of the top of one of the nearest mountains. The top of the mountain has been demolished to make way for a new telescope due to start operating in 2016.
The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) will consist of seven mirrors of 8.4 meters each, which is equivalent to one mirror with a diameter of 24 meters, for which it has already been nicknamed "Seven Eyes". Of all the projects for huge telescopes, this one (as of 2012) is the only one that has moved from the planning stage to practical construction.
Gemini telescopes
Gemini North telescope tower. Hawaii. Volcano Mauna Kea (4200 m). 
Gemini South. Chile. Mount Serra Pachon (2700 m). Also two twin telescopes, only each of the "brothers" is located in a different part of the world. The first - "Gemini North" - in Hawaii, on top of an extinct volcano Mauna Kea (height 4200 m). The second - "Gemini South", is located in Chile on Mount Serra Pachon (height 2700 m).
Both telescopes are identical, their mirror diameters are 8.1 meters, they were built in 2000 and belong to the Gemini Observatory, operated by a consortium of 7 countries.
Since the telescopes of the observatory are located in different hemispheres of the Earth, the entire starry sky is available for observation by this observatory. In addition, telescope control systems are adapted for remote operation via the Internet, so astronomers do not have to travel far from one telescope to another.
North Gemini. View inside the tower. Each of the mirrors of these telescopes is made up of 42 hexagonal pieces that have been soldered and polished. The telescopes use systems of active (120 drives) and adaptive optics, a special mirror silvering system, which provides a unique image quality in the infrared range, a multi-object spectroscopy system, in general, “full stuffing” of the most modern technologies. All this makes the Gemini Observatory one of the most advanced astronomical laboratories to date.
Subaru telescope
Japanese telescope "Subaru". Hawaii. "Subaru" in Japanese means "Pleiades", the name of this beautiful star cluster is known to everyone, even a beginner, lover of astronomy. Subaru Telescope belongs Japan National Astronomical Observatory, but located in Hawaii, on the territory of the Observatory mauna kea, at an altitude of 4139 m, that is, next to the northern "Gemini". The diameter of its main mirror is 8.2 meters. "First Light" saw in 1999.
Its main mirror is the world's largest single mirror telescope, but it is relatively thin - 20 cm, it weighs "only" 22.8 tons. This allows you to effectively use the most accurate active optics system of 261 drives. Each actuator transmits its force to the mirror, giving it a perfect surface in any position, which allows you to achieve almost the highest image quality today.
A telescope with such characteristics is simply obliged to "see" hitherto unknown miracles in the universe. Indeed, with its help, the most distant galaxy known to date (a distance of 12.9 billion light years), the largest structure in the universe, an object 200 million light years long, probably the embryo of a future cloud of galaxies, 8 new satellites of Saturn .. This telescope also "particularly excelled" in the search for exoplanets and photographing protoplanetary clouds (in some images, clumps of protoplanets are even distinguishable).
Hobby-Eberle Telescope
Observatory McDonald. Hobby-Eberle Telescope. USA. Texas. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET)- located in the USA McDonald Observatory. The observatory is located on Mount Folks, at an altitude of 2072 m. Started work - December 1996. The effective aperture of the main mirror is 9.2 m. (Actually, the mirror measures 10x11 m, but the light-receiving devices located in the focal point cut the edges to a diameter of 9.2 meters.)
Despite the large diameter of the main mirror of this telescope, Hobby-Eberle can be classified as a low-budget project - it cost only 13.5 million US dollars. This is not much, for example, the same Subaru cost its creators about 100 million rubles.
It was possible to save the budget thanks to several design features:
- Firstly, this telescope was conceived as a spectrograph, and for spectral observations a spherical rather than a parabolic main mirror is sufficient, which is much simpler and cheaper to manufacture.
- Secondly, the main mirror is not solid, but composed of 91 identical segments (since its shape is spherical), which also greatly reduces the cost of construction.
- Thirdly, the main mirror is at a fixed angle to the horizon (55°) and can only rotate 360° around its own axis. This eliminates the need to supply the mirror with a complex shape correction system (active optics), since its angle of inclination does not change.
But despite such a fixed position of the main mirror, this optical instrument covers 70% of the celestial sphere due to the movement of the 8-ton light receiver module in the focal region. After aiming at the object, the main mirror remains stationary, and only the focal node moves. The time of continuous tracking of the object is from 45 minutes at the horizon to 2 hours in the upper part of the sky.
Due to its specialization (spectrography), the telescope is successfully used, for example, to search for exoplanets or to measure the speed of rotation of space objects.
Large South African Telescope
Large South African Telescope. SALT. SOUTH AFRICA. Southern African Large Telescope (SALT)- located in South Africa South African Astronomical Observatory 370 km northeast of Cape Town. The observatory is located on the dry Karoo plateau, at an altitude of 1783 m. The first light is September 2005. The dimensions of the mirror are 11x9.8 m.
The government of the South African Republic, inspired by the cheapness of the HET telescope, decided to build its analogue in order to keep up with other developed countries in the study of the universe. By 2005, the construction was completed, the entire project budget amounted to 20 million US dollars, half of which went to the telescope itself, the other half to the building and infrastructure.
Since the SALT telescope is almost a complete analog of the HET, everything that was said above about the HET applies to it as well.
But, of course, it was not without some modernization - mainly it touched on the correction of the spherical aberration of the mirror and an increase in the field of view, thanks to which, in addition to working in the spectrograph mode, this telescope is capable of obtaining excellent photographs of objects with a resolution of up to 0.6″. This device is not equipped with adaptive optics (probably the South African government did not have enough money).
By the way, the mirror of this telescope, the largest in the southern hemisphere of our planet, was made at the Lytkarino Optical Glass Plant, that is, at the same one as the mirror of the BTA-6 telescope, the largest in Russia.
The largest telescope in the world
Great Canary Telescope
Tower of the Great Canary Telescope. Canary Islands (Spain). The Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC)- located on top of the extinct volcano Muchachos on the island of La Palma in the north-west of the Canary archipelago, at an altitude of 2396 m. The diameter of the main mirror is 10.4 m (area - 74 sq.m.).
The observatory is called Roque de los Muchachos. Spain, Mexico and the University of Florida took part in the creation of the GTC. This project cost US$176 million, of which 51% was paid by Spain.
The mirror of the Large Canary Telescope with a diameter of 10.4 meters, composed of 36 hexagonal segments - the largest existing in the world today(2012). Made by analogy with Keck telescopes.
..and it looks like GTC will hold the lead in this parameter until a telescope with a mirror 4 times larger in diameter is built in Chile on Mount Armazones (3,500 m) - “Extremely Large Telescope”(European Extremely Large Telescope), or the 30-meter telescope will not be built in Hawaii(Thirty Meter Telescope). Which of these two competing projects will be implemented faster is unknown, but according to the plan, both of them should be completed by 2018, which looks more doubtful for the first project than for the second.
Of course, there are also 11 meter mirrors of the HET and SALT telescopes, but as mentioned above, out of 11 meters, only 9.2 m are effectively used.
Although this is the largest telescope in the world in terms of mirror size, it cannot be called the most powerful in terms of optical characteristics, since there are multi-mirror systems in the world that surpass the GTC in their vigilance. They will be discussed further.
Large Binocular Telescope
Tower of the Large Binocular Telescope. USA. Arizona. (Large Binocular Telescope - LBT)- located on Mount Graham (height 3.3 km.) in Arizona (USA). Belongs to the International Observatory Mount Graham. Its construction cost 120 million dollars, money was invested by the United States, Italy and Germany. LBT is an optical system of two mirrors with a diameter of 8.4 meters, which is equivalent in light sensitivity to one mirror with a diameter of 11.8 m. In 2004, LBT "opened one eye", in 2005 a second mirror was installed. But only since 2008 it has been working in binocular mode and in interferometer mode.
Large Binocular Telescope. Scheme. The centers of the mirrors are at a distance of 14.4 meters, which makes the resolution of the telescope equivalent to 22 meters, which is almost 10 times greater than that of the famous Hubble Space Telescope. The total area of the mirrors is 111 square meters. m., that is, as much as 37 sq. m more than the GTC.
Of course, if we compare LBT with multi-telescope systems, such as Keck or VLT telescopes, which can operate in interferometer mode with larger baselines (distance between components) than LBT and, accordingly, give even higher resolution, then the Large Binocular Telescope will be inferior to them in terms of this indicator. But comparing interferometers with ordinary telescopes is not entirely correct, since they cannot provide photographs of extended objects at such a resolution.
Since both LBT mirrors send light to a common focus, that is, they are part of one optical device, unlike telescopes, which will be discussed later, plus this giant binoculars have the latest active and adaptive optics systems, it can be argued that The Large Binocular Telescope is the most advanced optical instrument in the world today.
Telescopes by William Keck
Telescope towers by William Keck. Hawaii. Keck I And Keck II- Another pair of twin telescopes. Location - Hawaii observatory Mauna Kea, on the top of the Mauna Kea volcano (height 4139 m), that is, in the same place where the Japanese telescope "Subaru" and "Gemini North". The first Keck was inaugurated in May 1993, the second in 1996.
The diameter of the main mirror of each of them is 10 meters, that is, each of them individually is the second largest telescope in the world after the Great Canary, quite a bit inferior to the latter in size, but surpassing it in "vigilance", thanks to the ability to work in pairs, and also higher above sea level. Each of them is capable of giving an angular resolution of up to 0.04 arcseconds, and working together, in the interferometer mode with a base of 85 meters, up to 0.005″.
The parabolic mirrors of these telescopes are composed of 36 hexagonal segments, each of which is equipped with a special computer-controlled support system. The first photograph was taken back in 1990, when the first Keck had only 9 segments, it was a photograph of the spiral galaxy NGC1232.
Very Large Telescope
Very Large Telescope. Chile. Very Large Telescope (VLT). Location - Mount Paranal (2635 m) in the Atacama Desert in the mountain range of the Chilean Andes. Accordingly, the observatory is called Paranalskaya, it belongs to European Southern Observatory (ESO), including 9 European countries.
VLT is a system of four telescopes of 8.2 meters each, and four additional 1.8 meters each. The first of the main instruments came into operation in 1999, the last one - in 2002, and later - auxiliary ones. After that, for several more years, work was carried out to adjust the interferometric mode, the instruments were first connected in pairs, then all together.
At present, telescopes can operate in the coherent interferometer mode with a baseline of about 300 meters and a resolution of up to 10 microarcseconds. Also, in the mode of a single incoherent telescope, collecting light into one receiver through a system of underground tunnels, while the aperture ratio of such a system is equivalent to one device with a mirror diameter of 16.4 meters.
Naturally, each of the telescopes can work separately, obtaining photographs of the starry sky with an exposure of up to 1 hour, which show stars up to the 30th magnitude.
The first direct photo of an exoplanet, near the star 2M1207 in the constellation of Centaurus. Received on VLT in 2004. The material and technical equipment of the Paranal Observatory is the most advanced in the world. It is more difficult to say which instruments for observing the universe are not here than to list which ones are. These are spectrographs of various types, as well as radiation receivers from the ultraviolet to the infrared range, as well as all possible types.
As mentioned above, the VLT system can work as a whole, but this is a very expensive mode, so it is rarely used. More often, to work in the interferometric mode, each of the large telescopes is paired with its 1.8-meter assistant (Auxiliary Telescope - AT). Each of the auxiliary telescopes can move along the rails relative to its "boss", taking the most favorable position for observing this object.
All this makes VLT is the most powerful optical system in the world, and ESO is the most advanced astronomical observatory in the world, it is a real paradise for astronomers. A lot of astronomical discoveries were made on the VLT, as well as previously impossible observations, for example, the world's first direct image of an exoplanet was obtained.
An observatory is a scientific institution in which employees - scientists of various specialties - observe natural phenomena, analyze observations, and continue to study what happens in nature on their basis.
Astronomical observatories are especially common: we usually imagine them when we hear this word. They explore stars, planets, large star clusters, and other space objects.
But there are other types of these institutions:
- geophysical - to study the atmosphere, the aurora, the Earth's magnetosphere, the properties of rocks, the state of the earth's crust in seismically active regions and other similar issues and objects;
- auroral - to study the aurora borealis;
- seismic - for continuous and detailed registration of all fluctuations of the earth's crust and their study;
- meteorological - to study weather conditions and identify weather patterns;
- cosmic ray observatories and a number of others.
Where are observatories built?
Observatories are built in those areas that give scientists the maximum material for research. 
Meteorological - in all corners of the Earth; astronomical - in the mountains (where the air is clean, dry, not "blinded" by city lighting), radio observatories - at the bottom of deep valleys, inaccessible to artificial radio interference.
Astronomical observatories
Astronomical - the most ancient type of observatories. Astronomers in ancient times were priests, they kept a calendar, studied the movement of the Sun in the sky, predicted events, the fate of people, depending on the juxtaposition of celestial bodies. These were astrologers - people who were afraid of even the most ferocious rulers.
Ancient observatories were usually located in the upper rooms of the towers. The tools were a straight bar equipped with a sliding sight.
The great astronomer of antiquity was Ptolemy, who collected in the Library of Alexandria a huge number of astronomical evidence, records, formed a catalog of positions and brightness for 1022 stars; invented the mathematical theory of the movement of the planets and compiled tables of motion - scientists used these tables for more than 1,000 years!
In the Middle Ages, observatories were especially actively built in the East. The giant Samarkand observatory is known, where Ulugbek, a descendant of the legendary Timur-Tamerlane, observed the movement of the Sun, describing it with unprecedented accuracy. The observatory with a radius of 40 m had the form of a sextant-trench with a south orientation and marble decoration.
The greatest astronomer of the European Middle Ages, who almost literally turned the world upside down, was Nicolaus Copernicus, who “moved” the Sun to the center of the universe instead of the Earth and proposed to consider the Earth as another planet.
And one of the most advanced observatories was Uraniborg, or Sky Castle, the property of Tycho Brahe, the Danish court astronomer. The observatory was equipped with the best, most accurate instrument at that time, had its own workshops for making instruments, a chemical laboratory, a storage of books and documents, and even a printing press for its own needs and a paper mill for paper production - royal luxury at that time!
In 1609, the first telescope appeared - the main instrument of any astronomical observatory. Its creator was Galileo. It was a reflecting telescope: the rays were refracted in it, passing through a series of glass lenses.
Kepler improved the telescope: in his device, the image was inverted, but of better quality. This feature eventually became standard for telescopic instruments.
In the 17th century, with the development of navigation, state observatories began to appear - the Royal Paris, the Royal Greenwich observatories in Poland, Denmark, Sweden. The revolutionary consequence of their construction and activities was the introduction of a time standard: it was now regulated by light signals, and then by telegraph and radio.
In 1839, the Pulkovo Observatory (St. Petersburg) was opened, which became one of the most famous in the world. Today there are more than 60 observatories in Russia. One of the largest on an international scale is the Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory, founded in 1956.
The Zvenigorod Observatory (12 km from Zvenigorod) has the only VAU camera in the world capable of carrying out mass observations of geostation satellites. In 2014, Moscow State University opened an observatory on Mount Shadzhatmaz (Karachay-Cherkessia), where they installed the largest modern telescope in Russia, with a diameter of 2.5 m.
The best modern foreign observatories
mauna kea- located on the Big Hawaiian Island, has the largest arsenal of high-precision equipment on Earth.
VLT complex("huge telescope") - located in Chile, in the Atacama "desert of telescopes". 
Yerk Observatory in the United States, "the birthplace of astrophysics".
ORM Observatory(Canary Islands) - has an optical telescope with the largest aperture (ability to collect light).
Arecibo- located in Puerto Rico and owns a radio telescope (305 m) with one of the largest apertures in the world.
Tokyo University Observatory(Atacama) - the highest on Earth, located at the top of Mount Cerro Chainantor.
More than 400 years have passed since the great Italian Galileo Galilei assembled his first telescope. The telescope of those days was a small refractor with a lens diameter of only 4 centimeters, which did not prevent him from making many major discoveries.
China's 500m FAST Telescope
A century and a half ago, most of the observatories were built right in the cities, mainly at large universities. With the advent of electric lighting, the problem of illuminating the night sky arose, in connection with which it was necessary to look for deserted places.
Today, much has changed and now astronomical observations require not only large instruments, but also solid funding. This is not just a costly business, it requires the developer to use high technologies that are not available in every country. The period from design work to completion of construction takes over 10 years, and the total cost of the costs often exceeds hundreds of millions of dollars.
But even this huge amount is far from the limit. The appetite of astronomers is growing by leaps and bounds and practically knows no bounds! The Hubble Space Observatory, launched in 1992, cost US taxpayers $3 billion. We have to admit that it exceeded all expectations in many ways!
James Webb Space Telescope Next in line is the launch of another monster. If the project does not die out from a lack of budget funding, then the 6-meter James Webb space telescope promises to make a solid contribution to a series of the brightest discoveries and achievements.
In addition to money, an important role in the work of the observatory is played by its location. The ideal option is to launch into space, where there are no atmospheric distortions. But, since it is too expensive, accommodation in high-mountainous places is considered an acceptable way out. The higher the telescope is placed, the smaller the thickness of the interfering atmosphere. It always contains air inhomogeneities and turbulence.
When taking subtle spectral analyzes, it is simply impossible to obtain reliable results from being at the bottom of the air ocean. Therefore, all large observatories are built only high in the mountains. For example, the 8-meter telescope of Japan's Subaru National Observatory is located on the top of a mountain, at an altitude of 4200 meters above sea level. Thanks to the excellent atmospheric conditions, it was possible to achieve excellent image quality.
In the conditions of a modern city, it is absolutely impossible to get good pictures. This is due to the presence of dust in the surrounding air and the high level of illumination of the night sky. It is worth saying that the lights of a big city are able to cause a light background at a distance of more than 50 km. Based on this, single islands, or sparsely populated high-mountain territories, are chosen to accommodate large telescopes.
If you have ever visited an optical observatory, or just looked at its photographs, you may have noticed that it is always painted bright white. This was done for a reason. In the daytime, the sun's rays noticeably heat any objects and structures. As a result, the dome of the observatory heats up so much that hot air begins to actively flow from its surface.
Such an effect is easy to notice for yourself by observing distant objects on a hot day. On a hot day, hot air rushes up, and you can see how the image seems to sway. This leads to the fact that it becomes impossible to conduct astronomical observations. To minimize the harmful effect, a reflective coating is applied to the observatory building, plus powerful cooling and ventilation systems are installed.
In most cases, the astronomical dome is spherical in shape, rotating in all directions of the horizon. They do this in order to be able to direct the telescope lens to any point in the starry sky, just by turning the tower in the right direction. From top to bottom, the dome is cut through with a longitudinal section and equipped with sliding doors. Thus, you can aim the telescope at any point in the sky - from the plane of the horizon to the vertical line of the zenith.
Observatory in Karachay-Cherkessia In our country, the largest telescope is installed in a special astrophysical observatory in the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia in the North Caucasus. Due to the fact that it is mounted at an altitude of just over 2000 meters above sea level, the high quality of the images obtained is achieved. The reflector's main mirror is 6 meters in diameter, making the maximum magnitude for this instrument an impressive +25m! Until 1993, it remained the largest in the world until the Keck Observatory was built. At present, the telescope is undergoing a deep modernization - the main mirror has been dismantled and sent to the manufacturer's factory for repolishing. In addition, new electronic equipment for the tracking and guidance system will be installed.
To see with your own eyes the starfall, the movement of comets and distant, distant celestial bodies, whose light reaches the Earth for tens of thousands of years ... It sounds unusual, doesn't it? Alas, not every observatory is ready to open its doors to guests, but in some places you can visit quite officially. So if you are interested in astronomy and you are looking for unusual experiences, then be sure to visit one of these places.
Molėtai Astronomical Observatory and Ethnocosmological Museum (Molėtai, Lithuania)
The Moletai Observatory was opened on a 200-meter hill in 1969. Relatively recently, the place became a tourist site, and near the building with the main telescope, the Ethnocosmological Museum was also opened, built of glass and metal and resembling a real starship, which looks very colorful against the background of the surrounding landscapes.
Inside - fragments of meteorites, artifacts related to space, and much more. You can look at the starry sky here both at night and during the day.
By the way, the Lithuanian Moletai is also popular with tourists in itself - there are a lot of picturesque lakes, and therefore there are many well-appointed holiday homes and hotels around.
Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory (Abastumani, Georgia)
This place will be of interest to everyone who, one way or another, is fascinated by astronomy, because the object is truly legendary. The observatory, founded in 1932, was the first in the Soviet Union and is still in operation. Moreover, you can get on a tour here quite officially.
In the 1890s, Grand Duke Georgy Alexandrovich arrived in Abastumani, and with him the prominent St. Petersburg astronomer Sergei Glazenap, who brought with him a small telescope for personal use. It was found that the local air has special properties, and observations of celestial bodies are much easier and more efficient. A few decades later, it was decided to build an observatory in the Caucasus.
The Abastumani Observatory occupies a rather vast territory. There are several residential buildings for employees, a large park, and a cafe. There is also a cable car. Tours are day, evening and night. The easiest way to get here is from Akhaltsikhe.
Keka Observatory (Mauna Kea, Hawaii)
The telescopes of this observatory are located on top of an extinct volcano. Here you can see a lot of interesting things, besides, there are all conditions for this: both isolation and a significant height. And what an observation deck!
The observatory is located at an altitude of more than four kilometers, so you need to climb here slowly.
Entry is allowed only on a four-wheel drive vehicle, and even with obligatory stops for acclimatization. You can also come here on foot as part of an organized group. The route is approximately 10 kilometers.
Observatory in the Atacama Desert (Chile)
Located near the city of San Pedro de Atacama. In fact, there are even two observatories here. One has a telescope pointing north, the other pointing south. The optical accuracy of the instruments is extremely high - with their help one could see the lit headlights of a car on the Moon.
Local scientists constantly receive new data and make fresh scientific publications based on what they see. But, despite the boiling serious work, group excursions are constantly led here.
Tien Shan Astronomical Observatory (Kazakhstan)
It is located just an hour's drive from the center of Almaty on the coast of the luxurious Big Almaty Lake surrounded by mountains. The observatory was opened in 1957 and for a long time was called the "State Astronomical Institute named after Sternberg" (abbreviated as SAISH). It is by the abbreviation that the locals still know it, and it is it that should be used when specifying the road.
The only way to get to the observatory is by SUV. There are also guest houses nearby, and excursions can be booked, most often this is done through local accredited travel companies.
Griffith Observatory (California, USA)
This private observatory is located on the territory of the Joshua Tree National Park, where two large deserts - the Mojave and Colorado - meet. It is convenient to get here from Los Angeles.
Griffith is not so much a science center as a tourist attraction. Here you can watch the starry sky through telescopes, visit interactive shows and modern exhibition halls, and take part in entertainment programs. The program will be interesting for both children and adults.
The observatory got its name in honor of Colonel Griffith, a philanthropist and philanthropist who formerly owned these lands. According to legend, at the beginning of the last century, he looked at the starry sky from one of the local hills and said that if all people could enjoy this spectacle, the world would become much better. Griffith donated land for the construction of the observatory, which today has become a popular tourist attraction.
Astronomical observatory in Givatayim (Israel)
This observatory is the largest and oldest in Israel, it has existed since 1967 and is focused not only on scientific research, but also on the popularization of astronomy as a science.
The Givatayim Observatory has many educational programs, clubs for schoolchildren, public lectures and master classes where you can learn to distinguish constellations and assemble telescopes.
However, you can just come here to watch the stars. A special excitement reigns in the observatory during the days of solar and lunar eclipses.
Sphinx Observatory (Jungfraujoch, Switzerland)
The highest mountain observatory in Europe is located at an altitude of more than 3.5 kilometers. In the building itself there are several laboratories, an observation station and a powerful telescope; research is carried out almost continuously.
Tourists come here not only for excursions, but also to use the unique elevator that takes passengers to the top in 25 seconds. At the top there is an observation deck with a magnificent panoramic view of the snow-capped peaks of the Alps. But getting to the elevator itself is very interesting - from Bern by train along the old Jungfrau railway, which was opened at the beginning of the last century.
Pic du Midi Observatory (France)
The Pic du Midi Observatory is one of the departments of the University of Toulouse, whose employees take pictures of the planets, the Sun and the Moon, and also teach.
The tourist infrastructure of Pic du Midi is well developed: there is an observation deck overlooking the Pyrenees (pictured), an astronomy museum, a cafe with a summer terrace. There are many guest houses nearby, as the nearby village of La Mongie has an excellent ski resort. Night excursions are held in the observatory itself, and here you can also meet the dawn. In addition, getting here is an excellent adventure in itself, as you will have to ride the funicular, the lower station of which is located just in La Mongie.
Sonnenborg Observatory Museum (Utrecht, The Netherlands)
The Sonnenborg Observatory is located in Utrecht, in an old building that was part of the city bastion in the 16th century. One of the oldest European telescopes is located in Sonnenborg, and the first observations of the starry sky here were started back in 1853.
Interestingly, Sonnenborg is considered a public observatory, that is, anyone can watch the stars, but only from September to early April. Views of celestial bodies available to free viewers are held in the evenings, up-to-date information can always be found on the observatory website.
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The most monumental observatory- Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, India
Jantar Mantar was built in the early 18th century in the pink city of Jaipur. The observatory includes measurement instruments that are colossal in size, some of which are the largest ever built. Giant structures are designed to observe the location of celestial bodies with the naked eye. The observatory is part of the Ptolemaic positional astronomy tradition shared by many civilizations. In 2010, the Jantar Mantar observatory was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To see the Indian monumental miracle with your own eyes, we recommend staying at the Umaid Mahal hotel.
The most equipped observatory- Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA
This scientific center occupies a vast territory of 2,023,000 sq.m. on the island of Hawaii. Mauna Kea is one of the few places in the world where you can drive from sea level to 4,200 meters in two hours. To date, the observatory has the richest selection of optical, infrared and submillimeter astronomical equipment in the world. In addition, Mauna Kea holds more telescopes than any other mountaintop observatory.
To feel the Hawaiian mood and visit the mountain observatory, take a look at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel - it will be an excellent solution for a comfortable stay.
Oldest active university observatory- Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands
An observatory was opened at the University of Leiden in 1633 to house the so-called Snell's quadrant. For the first two centuries of its existence, it served educational purposes. Currently, the Leiden Astronomical Center is the largest in the Netherlands, and has become world famous for its research in a wide range of astronomical disciplines. The observatory is the oldest active university observatory in the world.
You can enjoy the scenery of the southern province of the Netherlands by staying at the Golden Tulip Leiden Centre, which is a homely haven for inquisitive travelers.
highest observatory- Sphinx, Jungfraujoch, Switzerland
The Sphinx Observatory was built in the Swiss Alps in 1937 at an altitude of 3571 meters above sea level, at the highest altitude in Europe - there are no higher structures. Inside there are four laboratories, a weather observation station, astronomical and meteorological domes, and, of course, a 76-cm telescope. The Sphinx is a real scientific center for researchers in fields such as glaciology, medicine, cosmic ray physics and astronomy. In addition to scientific knowledge, the observatory delights visitors with dizzying panoramic views of the snowy Alps, green valleys, and the great Aletsch Glacier.
To see the snow-capped Alps, we suggest staying at the Hotel Alpenruh, which is located a few kilometers from the Jungfraujoch pass.
The largest observatory- Atacama Large Millimeter Array Observatory (ALMA), Atacama Desert, Chile
ALMA is the largest space observatory in the world. This is an international project developed by the European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), which includes 14 European countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil and Chile as the host. ALMA will allow scientists to study the galaxies that formed during the first hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang, as well as reveal the secret of the formation of celestial bodies.
For those who dream of seeing an astronomical miracle, the Terrantai Lodge Hotel will be a good choice.
