Keck Telescope

Keck Observatory

The twin domes of the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii house the two largest telescopes ever built for collecting visible and infrared light. Each main mirror consists of 36 separate hexagonal segments and measures 10 meters (33 feet) across. When the two telescopes are optically linked to work as one, they have the resolving power of a single telescope with a mirror 85 meters (280 feet) across.

To counteract the effects of gravity on the huge mirror structure, a computer-controlled system constantly checks and adjusts the position of each of the 36 mirror segments to maintain the mirror's shape. Another system, called adaptive optics, acts like a "smart" contact lens to further sharpen the Keck's vision. It senses how much the air above is blurring the telescope's view and constantly corrects for this distortion.

---

Observations

"Great telescopes like the Kecks allow us to explore the River of Time back toward its source. The Kecks will allow us, like no other telescope in history, to view the evolving Universe that gave us birth."
   --Astronomer Sandra Faber

Video:
    Keck Observatory