MMT Observatory

MMT Observatory

      one of the world's largest astronomical telescopes, located on top of 2,600-metre- (8,530-foot-) high Mount Hopkins, 60 km (37 miles) south of Tucson, Ariz. When it was built in 1979, it was originally called the Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) because it combined the light collected by six 180-cm- (70-inch-) diameter telescopes into a single image. It thus had the light-gathering power of a single 450-cm (176-inch) telescope. Because of many technical innovations, the construction of the MMT cost substantially less than that of a conventional telescope of comparable size. At the time of the MMT's construction, making one giant mirror would have been very expensive; however, subsequent innovations in mirror fabrication made the production of large mirrors more affordable. Therefore, from 1998 to 2000, the six mirrors of the MMT were replaced by a single 650-cm (255-inch) mirror. The MMT was renamed the MMT Observatory. The MMT Observatory is jointly owned and operated by the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • MMT Observatory — The MMT Observatory (MMTO) is an astronomical observatory on the site of Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (IAU observatory code 696). The Whipple observatory complex is located on Mount Hopkins, Arizona, USA (55 km south of Tucson) in the… …   Wikipedia

  • MMT — may refer to: * Magical Mystery Tour , the ninth album by The Beatles. *MMT Observatory *4QMMT or MMT, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls *Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl, a gasoline additive to increase the fuel s octane rating *Methadone… …   Wikipedia

  • MMT — • Multiple Mirror Telescope Klasse von Spiegelteleskopen, erstmals gebaut 1977 am Fred Lawrence Wipple Observatory, Mnt. Hopkins, mit (später computer koordinierten) Einzelspiegeln Astronomie • Mass Memory Test NASA • Multi Media Transport System …   Acronyms

  • MMT — [1] Multiple Mirror Telescope Klasse von Spiegelteleskopen, erstmals gebaut 1977 am Fred Lawrence Wipple Observatory, Mnt. Hopkins, mit (später computer koordinierten) Einzelspiegeln {Astronomie} [2] Mass Memory Test ( > NASA Acronym List )… …   Acronyms von A bis Z

  • Observatoire MMT — L observatoire MMT (en anglais MMT Observatory ou MMTO) est un observatoire astronomique situé sur le site de l observatoire Fred Lawrence Whipple (code observatoire UAI 696). L observatoire Whipple est situé sur le Mount Hopkins dans l Arizona… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory — Entrance to the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory …   Wikipedia

  • National Optical Astronomy Observatory — The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) is the United States national observatory for ground based nighttime ultraviolet optical infrared (OUVIR) astronomy. The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds NOAO to provide forefront… …   Wikipedia

  • astronomical observatory —       any structure containing telescopes and auxiliary instruments with which to observe celestial objects. Observatories can be classified on the basis of the part of the electromagnetic spectrum in which they are designed to observe. The… …   Universalium

  • Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory — The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) is a research institute of the Smithsonian Institution headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it is joined with the Harvard College Observatory (HCO) to form the Harvard Smithsonian Center …   Wikipedia

  • Kitt Peak National Observatory — Infobox Observatory name = Kitt Peak National Observatory caption = Overview of some of the telescopes at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. organization = NOAO code=695 location = Tohono O odham Nation, Arizona, United States coords =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”