Large Binocular Telescope

This image, one of the first ever taken using both mirrors of the Large Binocular Telescope, shows ultraviolet, green, and red light in the spiral galaxy NGC 2770.

The world's most powerful optical telescope has been operational since January 2008 and some of the first images have been released. The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) in Arizona achieved an important milestone in January when both of the telescope's 8.4-meter mirrors pointed toward the spiral galaxy NGC 2770. Last week the LBT folks released the images. This critical step means we're not far from having another full-time telescopic giant producing incredible observations and scientific discoveries. With 10 times the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope, the LBT is currently operating on southeastern Arizona’s Mount Graham.

The era of bigger is better ground based telsescops is upon us. When the images are combined, the two LBT eyes have the light-collecting area of a single 11.8-meter mirror. And they ride on the same mount and always point in the same direction. But it still takes two separate primary mirrors and two separate optical systems to make the magic happen. The largest binoculars? Sure. The largest telescope? The title still belongs to the 10-meter Kecks. The 10.4-meter GranTeCan in the Canary Islands isn't quite up and running yet, but it should be soon. When operational, that telescope will take the crown. I don't count Hobby-Eberly Telescope or the Southern African Large Telescope because they can't point all over the sky, and not all of the primary mirror is working at a given time.