Otto Struve Telescope, Research telescope at McDonald Observatory, Davis Mountains, Texas
The Otto Struve Telescope contains a 2.1-meter primary mirror made of borosilicate glass, weighing 1900 kilograms with a thickness of 29.8 centimeters.
When completed in 1939, this telescope ranked as the second-largest optical instrument worldwide, following only the Hooker Telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory.
The telescope received its name in 1966 to honor Otto Struve, the first director of McDonald Observatory who guided the facility from 1932 to 1947.
The telescope operates with electronic detectors and computer controls, allowing researchers to conduct observations of galaxies, stars, planets, and distant cosmic objects.
This instrument led to the detection of Uranus' fifth moon Miranda, Neptune's moon Nereid, and identified carbon dioxide in Mars' atmosphere.
GPS coordinates: 30.67152,-104.02279
Latest update: March 3, 2025 01:30
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