Big refractor
Several observatories refer to their largest lens telescope as the large refractor . These instruments, which were around 10–20 meters long and weigh tonnes, were developed before the turn of the century and were popularly known as giant telescopes . For weight reasons, the development ended in 1897 with the 102 cm lens of the Yerkes Observatory , the lens doublet has a total mass of 230 kg and already sags noticeably under the force of weight . Then the era of the large reflector telescopes began .
The big refractors are - ranked according to their year of origin:
- Large refractor of the Capodimonte observatory (1814), 17.5 cm objective diameter / 302 cm focal length
- Large refractor of the Vienna University Observatory (1878), 68 cm objective diameter / 1050 cm focal length
- Large refractor of the Pulkovo Observatory (Russia, 1880), 76 (30 inches) / ≈1100 cm
- Large refractor from the Nice Observatory (France, 1888), 76 cm
- Great Lick Refractor of the Lick Observatory (USA, 1889), 91 cm
- Grande Lunette (Meudon) of the Paris Observatory (1893), double telescope with 82 cm and 63 cm
- Large refractor (Berlin), see Archenhold-Sternwarte # Der Große Refraktor (1896), 68/2100 cm
- Great Yerkes Refractor of the Yerkes Observatory (USA, 1897), 102/1950 cm
- Large refractor (Potsdam) , Telegrafenberg Potsdam (1899), double refractor with 80/1214 cm and 50/1259 cm
- Large refractor (Hamburg), see Hamburg observatory # Large refractor (1914), 60/900 cm