List of solar telescopes
This is a list of solar telescopes built in various countries around the world. A solar telescope is a specialized telescope that is used to observe the Sun.
This list contains ground-based professional observatory telescopes at optical wavelengths in chronological order. Solar telescopes often have multiple focal lengths, and use a various combination of mirrors such as coelostats, lenses, and tubes for instruments including spectrographs, cameras, or coronagraphs. There are many types of instruments that have been designed to observe Earth's Sun, for example, in the 20th century solar towers were common.
Ground telescopes
Optical telescopes
Name/Observatory | Image | Aperture | Year(s) | Location | Country(s) | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) | 400 cm | 2019– | Haleakalā, Maui, Hawaii, United States | United States | [1][2][3][4] | |
Chinese Large Solar Telescope (CLST) | 180 cm | 2019– | Chengdu, Sichuan, China | China | First light 10 December 2019[5] | |
GREGOR, Teide Observatory | 150 cm | 2012– | Tenerife, Spain | Germany | [6] | |
Goode Solar Telescope (GST), Big Bear Solar Observatory | 160 cm | 2008– | California, United States | United States | ||
New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST), Yunnan Astronomical Observatory | 100 cm | 2010– | Yunnan, China | China | 100 cm vacuum solar telescope[7] | |
Andrei Severny Tower Solar Telescope, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory | 90 cm | 1954– | Crimea | |||
Multi-Purpose Automated Solar Telescope, Sayan Solar Observatory | 80 cm | Mondy, Republic of Buryatia, Russia | Russia | Located in the mountains at 2000m altitude.[8] | ||
Large Solar Vakuum Telescope, Baikal Astrophysical Observatory | 76 cm | 1980– | Irkutsk Oblast, Russia | Russia | Located on the Coast of Lake Baikal.[8] | |
Optical and Near-Infrared Solar Eruption Tracer (ONSET), School of Astronomy & Space Science, Nanjing University | 3x27,5 cm | 2010– | Nanjing, China | China | The ONSET consists of four tubes: (1) a near-infrared vacuum tube, with an aperture of 27.5 cm, (2) a chromospheric vacuum tube, with an aperture of 27.5 cm, (3) a WL vacuum tube, with an aperture of 20 cm and (4) a guiding tube.[9] | |
Bulgarian 15-cm Solar Coronagraph,[10] Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory Bulgaria | 100 cm | 2005– | Rozhen, Bulgaria | Bulgaria | ||
Swedish Solar Telescope (SST), Roque de los Muchachos Observatory | 100 cm | 2002– | La Palma, Spain | Sweden | [11] | |
Prairie View Solar Observatory (PVSO)[12] | 35 cm | 1999– | Texas, United States | United States | ||
Upgraded Coronal Multi-Channel Polarimeter (UCOMP) | 20 cm | 2021– | Mauna Loa, Hawaii, United States | United States | ||
K-Coronagraph (K-COR) | 20 cm | 2013– | Mauna Loa, Hawaii, United States | United States | ||
Dutch Open Telescope (DOT), Roque de los Muchachos Observatory | 45 cm | 1997– | La Palma, Spain | Netherlands | ||
THÉMIS Solar Telescope, Teide Observatory | 90 cm | 1996– | Tenerife, Spain | Italy and France | ||
Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT), Teide Observatory | 70 cm | 1989– | Tenerife, Spain | Germany | [13] | |
Hida Domeless Solar Telescope (ja) | 60 cm | 1979– | Takayama, Gifu, Japan | Japan | [14] | |
Udaipur Solar Observatory MAST Full Disk H-alpha Telescope H-alpha Spar Telescope Coudé Telescope | 50 cm 15 cm 25 cm 15 cm | 1976– | Udaipur, India | India | ||
Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope (DST), Sacramento Peak | 76 cm | 1969– | Sunspot Solar Observatory, Sunspot, New Mexico, United States | United States | ||
Solar Observatory Tower Meudon | 60 cm | 1968– | Meudon, France | France | ||
McMath–Pierce solar telescope, KPO | 161 cm | 1961– | Arizona, United States | United States | Largest aperture optical and infrared solar telescope for nearly six decades | |
ARIES Observatory | 15 cm | 1961– | Nainital, India | India | ||
Solar Tunnel Telescope, Kodaikanal Solar Observatory | 61 cm (24 in) | 1958– | Kodaikanal, India | India | [15] | |
45-cm-Turmteleskop | 45 cm | 1943– | Schauinsland, Germany | Germany | ||
Gregory Coudé Telescope | 45 cm | 1959- | Locarno, Switzerland | Switzerland | Operated by the Universitäts-Sternwarte Göttingen until 1984 and by IRSOL after 1984. | |
Solar Tower Telescope by Zeiss | 45 cm | 1930– | Tokyo, Japan | Japan | [16] | |
Einsteinturm | 60 cm | 1924– | Potsdam, Germany | Germany | ||
150-foot tower, Mount Wilson Observatory | 35 cm (24") | 1912– | California, United States | United States | [1] | |
Snow Solar Telescope, Mount Wilson Observatory | 61 cm (24") | 1904– | California, United States | United States | First solar telescope[17] | |
Lerebour/Grubb-Parsons, Kodaikanal Solar Observatory | 20 cm | 1901– | Kodaikanal, India | India (1947- ) United Kingdom (1901–1950) | ||
Solar-T | 2x7.6 cm | 2016 | Antarctica | Brazil | [18] | |
Swedish Vacuum Solar Telescope, Roque de los Muchachos Observatory | 47.5 cm | 1985–2000 | La Palma, Spain | Sweden | Replaced by the SST | |
Gregory Coude Telescope (GCT) | 45 cm[1] | 1984–2002 | Tenerife, Spain (1984–2002) | Germany | Replaced by GREGOR[19][1] | |
Evans Solar Facility (ESF), Sacramento Peak | 40 cm | 1953–2014 | Sunspot Solar Observatory, Sunspot, New Mexico, United States | United States | [20] | |
Göttinger Sonnenturm (Solar Tower Telescope) | 2x15 cm 11 cm | 1942–2004 | Göttingen, Germany | Germany | 65 cm-Coelostat by Zeiss, feeding light into several small light paths in tower | |
McMath-Hulbert Observatory | 61 cm (24") | 1941–1979 | Michigan, United States | United States | Replaced the 10.5in in 1941 | |
50-foot tower, McMath-Hulbert Observatory | 40 cm | 1936–1979 | Michigan, United States | United States | ||
10.5 inch, McMath-Hulbert Observatory | 26.7 cm (10.5") | 1930–1941 | Michigan, United States | United States | Replaced by the 24 inch in 1941 | |
Arcetri Solar Tower, Arcetri Observatory | 37 cm | 1925-2006 | Arcetri, Italy | Italy | ||
Telescopes for the Sun have existed for hundreds of years, this list is not complete and only goes back to 1900.
Potential future optical telescopes
Name/Observatory | Image | Aperture d. | Status | Location | Country(s) | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO) | 150 cm | proposed | United States | [21] | ||
National Large Solar Telescope (NLST) | 200 cm | proposed[22] | Merak Village, Ladakh, India | India | ||
Chinese Giant Solar Telescope (CGST) | 500–800 cm | planned | Western part of China | China | [23] | |
European Solar Telescope (EST) | 400+ cm | planned | Canary Islands | 15 European countries[24] | [25] | |
Radio telescopes
Name/Observatory | Image | Frequency range | Year(s) | Location | Country(s) | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chinese Spectral Radioheliograph (CSRH) | 0.4 - 2.0 Ghz 2.0 - 15 GHz | 2013 - | Inner Mongolia, China | China |
40x 4.5m dishes - low freq band 60x 2m dishes - high freq band Radio imaging-spectroscopy observations of the Sun in decimetric and centimetric wavelengths[26] | |
Nançay Radioheliographe (NRH), Nançay Radio Observatory | 150–450 MHz | Sologne, Centre-Val de Loire, France | France | [27] | ||
Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA) | 1–18 GHz | Sologne, Centre-Val de Loire, France | France | Previously known as the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA) before getting an expansion to upgrade its control system and increase the total number of antennas to 15.[28] | ||
Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH), Nobeyama Radio Observatory | 17 and 34 GHz | Minamimaki, Nagano Prefecture, Japan | Japan | [29] | ||
Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters, Nobeyama Radio Observatory | 1, 2, 3.75, 9.4, 17, 35, and 80 GHz | Minamimaki, Nagano Prefecture, Japan | Japan | [30] | ||
Siberian Solar Radio Telescope (SSRT) | 1983– | Republic of Buryatia, Russia | Russia | [31] | ||
Solar Submillimeter Telescope (SST), Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito | 212 and 405 GHz | 1999– | San Juan Province, Argentina | Argentina | SST is the only solar submillimeter telescope currently in operation.[32] | |
Polarization Emission of Millimeter Activity at the Sun (POEMAS), Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito | 45 and 90 GHz | 2011– | San Juan Province, Argentina | Argentina | ||
Bleien Radio Observatory | 10 MHz–5 GHz | 1979– | Gränichen, Switzerland | Switzerland | [33] | |
Radio Solar Telescope Network (RSTN) | 245, 410, 610, 1415, 2695, 4975, 8800 and 15400 MHz | Australia; Italy; Massachusetts and Hawaii, United States | Australia, Italy, and United States | A series of four radio telescopes located at various locations around the world.[33][34] | ||
Daocheng Solar Radio Telescope | 150-450 MHz | 2023- | Sichuan province | China | 313 parabolic antennas for detection of coronal mass ejection events. Operations started in 2023.[35] | |
Mingantu interplanetary scintillation telescope | 327 MHz and 654 MHz | 2023- | Inner Mongolia | China | interplanetary scintillation telescope, consists of three rotatable cylindrical antennas (140 metres by 40 metres each).[36] | |
Other types of solar telescopes
There are much smaller commercial and/or amateur telescopes such as Coronado Filters from founder and designer David Lunt, bought by Meade Instruments in 2004 and sells SolarMax solar telescopes up to 8 cm[37][38]
Most solar observatories observe optically at visible, UV, and near infrared wavelengths, but other things can be observed.
- CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST), looks for solar axions from the early 2000s onwards
- Multi-spectral solar telescope array (MSSTA), a rocket launched payload of UV telescopes in the 1990s
- Leoncito Astronomical Complex, has a submillimeter wavelength solar telescope.
- Owens Valley Solar Array, for solar radio observation
Further reading
References
- "Big Bear Solar Observatory - Large Solar Telescopes".
- Witze, A. (29 January 2020). "World's most powerful solar telescope is up and running". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-020-00224-z. PMID 33504997. S2CID 213261911.
- "Welcome to the DKIST | DKIST".
- "Cycle 1 Proposal Call Announcement". NSO/DKIST. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
- Rao, Changhui; Gu, Naiting; Rao, Xuejun; Li, Cheng; Zhang, Lanqiang; Huang, Jinlong; Kong, Lin; Zhang, Ming; Cheng, Yuntao; Pu, Yi; Bao, Hua; Guo, Youming; Liu, Yangyi; Yang, Jinsheng; Zhong, Libo; Wang, Changjun; Fang, Kai; Zhang, Xiaojun; Chen, Donghong; Wang, Cheng; Fan, Xinlong; Yan, Zhiwu; Chen, Kele; Wei, Xiya; Zhu, Lei; Liu, Hong; Wan, Yongjian; Xian, Hao; Ma, Wenli (22 April 2020). "First light of the 1.8-m solar telescope–CLST". Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy. 63 (10): 109631. Bibcode:2020SCPMA..6309631R. doi:10.1007/s11433-019-1557-3. S2CID 219039447. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- "Home: Leibniz-Institut für Sonnenphysik". www.leibniz-kis.de. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- Ding-qiang Su (2012). "Understanding Astronomy in China through Recent Major Projects" (PDF). iau.org. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- http://en.iszf.irk.ru/Main_Page Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics
- Hao, Q.; Guo, Y.; Dai, Y.; Ding, M. D.; Li, Z.; Zhang, X. Y.; Fang, C. (2012). "Understanding the white-light flare on 2012 March 9: Evidence of a two-step magnetic reconnection". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 544: L17. arXiv:1211.1751. Bibcode:2012A&A...544L..17H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219941. S2CID 59054649.
- "Solar Observations in Bulgaria | National Astronomical Observatory ROZHEN". Archived from the original on 2010-08-08. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
- solarphysics.kva.se The Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope Archived 2008-06-16 at the Wayback Machine
- "Prairie View Solar Observatory".
- "Vacuum Tower Telescope". Archived from the original on 2009-12-26. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
- "The Domeless Solar Telescope".
- "I.S. Glass's home page".
- "Solar Tower". Archived from the original on 2006-03-10. Retrieved 2014-08-30.
- "Telescope: Snow Solar Telescope". Archived from the original on 22 Mar 2009.
- P. Kaufmann. "THz Solar Observations on Board of a Trans-Antarctic Stratospheric Balloon Flight" (PDF). Retrieved 19 Aug 2021.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "John W. Evans Solar Facility".
- "COSMO | High Altitude Observatory".
- "India to Build World's Largest Solar Telescope". Archived from the original on 2010-09-05. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
- Y. Y. Deng (21 March 2011). "Introduction to the Chinese Giant Solar Telescope" (PDF). www.ncra.tifr.res.in. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- "Home". astro-east.org.
- "Home".
- Yan, Yihua; Wang, Wei; Liu, Fei; Geng, Lihong; Chen, Zhijun; Zhang, Jian (2013). "Radio imaging-spectroscopy observations of the Sun in decimetric and centimetric wavelengths" (PDF). Solar and Astrophysical Dynamos and Magnetic Activity, Proceedings IAU Symposium No. 294, 2012. 8: 489–494. Bibcode:2013IAUS..294..489Y. doi:10.1017/S1743921313003001. S2CID 123882940. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- "Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay". www.obs-nancay.fr. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
- "OVSA Expanstion Project." New Jersey Institute of Technology. Retrieved: 18 June 2017.
- "Nobeyama Radioheliograph." Nobeyama Radio Observatory. Retrieved: 18 June 2017.
- "Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters." Nobeyama Radio Observatory. Retrieved: 18 June 2017.
- "The Siberian Solar Radio Telescope – ISTP SB RAS". en.iszf.irk.ru. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
- Gimenez de Castro, C.G., Raulin, J.-P., Makhmutov, V., Kaufmann, P., Csota, J.E.R., Instantaneous positions of microwave solar bursts: Properties and validity of the multiple beam observations Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser., 140, 3, December II 1999 doi:10.1051/aas:1999428
- "Radioastronomy FHNW". soleil.i4ds.ch. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
- "Space Weather Services website". www.sws.bom.gov.au. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- "China's new radio telescope will have dangerous solar eruptions in its gaze". South China Morning Post. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- "China to start building giant telescope to monitor solar winds". South China Morning Post. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- "Sky & Telescope: David Lunt (1942-2005)". Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- David Lunt biography, Solar Filter designer Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine