How big can a telescope mirror be?
screaming monk asked:
For a non-arrayed optical telescope, is there a limit to the size a mirror could be?
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For a non-arrayed optical telescope, is there a limit to the size a mirror could be?
February 28th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Hypothetically, a telescope can be quite large, but there are physical infrastructure limitations. The Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea are 10 m in diameter, and they are actually constructed of smaller segments that are placed together and individually adjusted to form a single image. This process could be expanded considerably, but vibration, structural deformation would all conspire to cause blurring.