Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope, Optical telescope at Mount Graham International Observatory in Graham County, Arizona, United States.
The Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope is an optical telescope in Graham County, Arizona, United States, positioned at Mount Graham at an elevation of 3178 meters. The primary mirror measures 1.83 meters across and uses a Gregorian design for observing the night sky.
The facility was completed in 1993 through a partnership between the Vatican Observatory and the University of Arizona. This collaboration allows both institutions to share access for astronomical research in southeastern Arizona.
The facility maintains connections between scientific research and religious institutions while conducting studies of celestial objects and astronomical phenomena.
Observation time is allocated in a 75 to 25 ratio between the Vatican Observatory Research Group and the university. The instrument operates during clear weather and serves professional research only, with no public access to the telescope itself.
The primary mirror of the telescope has an aperture ratio of f/1.0 and was created using spin-casting methods. The borosilicate glass was cast at the University of Arizona Mirror Laboratory in a honeycomb structure that reduces weight while maintaining stability.
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