Home›Observatories and Instruments›All Observatories and InstrumentsBrowse ByAll Observatories and InstrumentsReference and ClassificationDevelopingThe ground and space-based telescopes and instruments used to observe the universe beyond Earth. They are grouped here by observing platform and wavelength regime into space-based observatories, ground-based radio and millimeter observatories, and ground-based optical observatories.FactsAll Observatories and InstrumentsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsComparisonField Origin EraWell-attested1608 1All Observatories and InstrumentsFilter Results142 entriesPlatformAllCosmic Microwave Background Satellites (3)Historic Pre-Telescopic Observatories (8)Infrared Space Telescopes (8)Optical Observatories of Africa and Oceania (10)Optical Observatories of Asia and the Middle East (10)Optical Observatories of Europe (28)Optical Observatories of the Americas (26)Optical, Ultraviolet and Exoplanet Space Telescopes (6)Radio and Millimetre Interferometer Arrays (16)Single-Dish Radio and Millimetre Telescopes (11)Solar Space Observatories (1)X-ray and Gamma-Ray Space Observatories (8)OperatorAllAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy (4)ASTRON (2)Astrophysical Research Consortium (1)Australian Astronomical Observatory (1)Australian National University (2)Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (1)California Association for Research in Astronomy (1)California Institute of Technology (1)Carnegie Institution for Science (1)Chinese Academy of Sciences (1)CSIRO (3)Czech Academy of Sciences (1)DLR (1)Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (1)European Southern Observatory (3)European Space Agency (10)Green Bank Observatory (1)Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1)Indian Institute of Astrophysics (2)Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique (1)Institut Teknologi Bandung (1)Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (1)Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (1)ISRO (1)JAXA (1)Large Binocular Telescope Corporation (1)Leiden University (1)Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1)Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (1)Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (1)Moscow State University (1)NASA (23)National Academy of Sciences of Armenia (1)National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (2)National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (1)National Institute for Astrophysics (3)National Radio Astronomy Observatory (3)National Research Council (Canada) (2)National Research Foundation of South Africa (2)National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (1)National Science Foundation (2)New Jersey Institute of Technology (1)New Mexico State University (1)NOIRLab (2)Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (1)Observatoire de Paris (1)Osmania University (1)Paris Sciences et Lettres University (1)Physical Research Laboratory (1)Roscosmos (1)Russian Academy of Sciences (2)SKA Observatory (1)SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (1)South African Astronomical Observatory (1)Swiss Space Office (1)Tel Aviv University (1)University of California (1)University of Cambridge (1)University of Central Florida (1)University of Chicago (2)University of Copenhagen (1)University of Hamburg (1)University of Manchester (1)University of Texas at Austin (1)University of the Free State (1)University of Toronto (2)University of Vienna (1)Operational Start YearAll906 (1)1259 (1)1276 (1)1442 (1)1580 (1)1633 (1)1667 (1)1675 (1)1700 (1)1734 (1)1754 (1)1764 (1)1785 (1)1789 (1)1812 (1)1825 (1)1826 (1)1827 (1)1839 (1)1842 (1)1861 (1)1869 (1)1871 (2)1873 (1)1879 (1)1883 (1)1888 (1)1889 (1)1894 (1)1897 (1)1898 (1)1900 (1)1901 (1)1904 (1)1908 (1)1918 (1)1923 (1)1931 (1)1932 (1)1934 (1)1935 (1)1937 (1)1939 (1)1945 (1)1946 (1)1949 (1)1954 (1)1956 (1)1957 (2)1958 (1)1959 (1)1961 (2)1963 (1)1964 (3)1965 (2)1966 (1)1969 (2)1970 (2)1971 (1)1972 (2)1974 (1)1975 (1)1976 (1)1978 (1)1980 (1)1982 (1)1983 (1)1984 (1)1985 (1)1986 (1)1988 (1)1989 (2)1990 (3)1991 (1)1992 (2)1993 (1)1994 (1)1995 (2)1996 (1)1998 (1)1999 (2)2000 (1)2001 (2)2002 (1)2003 (1)2004 (1)2005 (2)2006 (1)2007 (2)2008 (1)2009 (5)2010 (2)2012 (1)2013 (1)2014 (1)2015 (1)2016 (1)2017 (1)2018 (3)2019 (3)2022 (1)2023 (1)2025 (1)2026 (1)Observing BandAllGamma-ray (4)Infrared (22)Microwave (6)Optical / Visible (73)Radio (35)Ultraviolet (5)X-ray (7)LocationAllAntarctica (1)Argentina (2)Armenia (1)Australia (6)Australia (2)Austria (1)Belgium (1)Brazil (1)Canada (5)Chile (8)China (4)Czechia (1)Denmark (1)Egypt (1)France (6)Georgia (1)Germany (4)Greece (1)Hungary (1)India (7)Indonesia (1)Iran (1)Ireland (1)Israel (1)Italy (3)Japan (2)Mexico (1)Morocco (1)Netherlands (3)Russia (3)South Africa (6)Spain (3)Sweden (1)Turkey (1)Ukraine (1)United Kingdom (4)United States (21)Uzbekistan (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 100Abastumani Astrophysical ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesAkariSpace-Based ObservatoriesAlgonquin Radio ObservatoryGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesAnglo-Australian TelescopeGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesApache Point ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesArcetri ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesArecibo ObservatoryGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesArgentine National ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesArmagh ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesAryabhatta Research Institute of Observational SciencesGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesAstroSatSpace-Based ObservatoriesAtacama Cosmology TelescopeGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesAtacama Large Millimeter ArrayGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesAustralia Telescope Compact ArrayGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesAustralian Square Kilometre Array PathfinderGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesBeijing Ancient ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesBerlin ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesBig Bear Solar ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesBohyunsan Optical Astronomy ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesBosscha ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesBoyden ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesBrera Astronomical ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesByurakan ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesCalar Alto ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesCanadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping ExperimentGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesCapodimonte Astronomical ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesCerro Tololo Inter-American ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesChandra X-ray ObservatorySpace-Based ObservatoriesCHEOPSSpace-Based ObservatoriesCompton Gamma Ray ObservatorySpace-Based ObservatoriesCosmic Background ExplorerSpace-Based ObservatoriesCrimean Astrophysical ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesDaniel K. Inouye Solar TelescopeGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesDavid Dunlap ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesDominion Astrophysical ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesDominion Radio Astrophysical ObservatoryGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesDunsink ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesEffelsberg 100-m Radio TelescopeGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesEl Caracol, Chichen ItzaGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesEuclid (spacecraft)Space-Based ObservatoriesEvent Horizon TelescopeGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesExtreme Ultraviolet ExplorerSpace-Based ObservatoriesFermi Gamma-ray Space TelescopeSpace-Based ObservatoriesFive-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio TelescopeGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesFlorence and George Wise ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesGaiaSpace-Based ObservatoriesGaocheng Astronomical ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesGemini ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesGiant Metrewave Radio TelescopeGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesGran Telescopio CanariasGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesGreen Bank TelescopeGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesHamburg ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesHartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy ObservatoryGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesHaute-Provence ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesHaystack ObservatoryGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesHerschel Space ObservatorySpace-Based ObservatoriesHipparcosSpace-Based ObservatoriesHubble Space TelescopeSpace-Based ObservatoriesInfrared Astronomical SatelliteSpace-Based ObservatoriesINTEGRALSpace-Based ObservatoriesInternational Ultraviolet ExplorerSpace-Based ObservatoriesIstanbul Observatory of Taqi al-DinGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesJames Webb Space TelescopeSpace-Based ObservatoriesJantar Mantar, JaipurGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesJodrell Bank ObservatoryGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesKepler Space TelescopeSpace-Based ObservatoriesKitt Peak National ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesKodaikanal Solar ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesKonkoly ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesKottamia Astronomical ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesLa Plata Astronomical ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesLa Silla ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesLarge Binocular TelescopeGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesLas Campanas ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesLearmonth Solar ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesLeibniz Institute for Astrophysics PotsdamGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesLeiden ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesLick ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesLOFARGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesLowell ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesMaragheh ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesMauna Kea ObservatoriesGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesMcDonald ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesMeerKATGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesMount Stromlo ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesMount Wilson ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesMullard Radio Astronomy ObservatoryGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesNancay Radio ObservatoryGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesNancy Grace Roman Space TelescopeSpace-Based ObservatoriesNational Astronomical Observatory of JapanGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesNational Observatory of AthensGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesNational Solar ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesNeil Gehrels Swift ObservatorySpace-Based ObservatoriesNice ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesNizamia ObservatoryGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesNobeyama Radio ObservatoryGround-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesNOEMA (IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer)Ground-Based Radio and Millimeter ObservatoriesNuSTARSpace-Based ObservatoriesObservatório NacionalGround-Based Optical ObservatoriesOndrejov ObservatoryGround-Based Optical Observatories12Next →Sources1. Wikipedia: History of the telescopetier 2Wikimedia FoundationHistory of the telescope, lead sectionQuote, History of the telescope, lead sectionThe history of the telescope can be traced to before the invention of the earliest known telescope, which appeared in 1608 in the Netherlands, when a patent was submitted by Hans Lippershey, an eyeglass maker.View the SourceEncyclopedia Britannica: Space ExplorationEncyclopedia Britannica, Inc.View the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.