10 most powerful telescopes in the world exploring the cosmos
08 Jul, 2025
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Located 1.5 million kilometers from Earth at the Sun-Earth L2 point, JWST is the most advanced space telescope ever built. Operating primarily in the infrared, it captures light from the earliest galaxies formed after the Big Bang
James Webb Space Telescope
Nestled in the mountains of Guizhou, China, FAST is the world's largest single-dish radio telescope. It's designed to detect faint radio signals from space, playing a major role in pulsar research, mapping cosmic phenomena.
500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope
Currently under construction on Cerro Armazones in Chile, the ELT will become the largest ground-based telescope operating in visible and infrared wavelengths.
European Extremely Large Telescope
Under development at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, the GMT will have seven large mirrors functioning as a single 24.5-meter telescope. It will deliver images ten times sharper than Hubble,
Giant Magellan Telescope
Planned for Mauna Kea in Hawaii, the TMT will feature a 30-meter segmented mirror. It's designed to study black holes, early galaxies, and extrasolar planets in great detail, pushing the boundaries of modern astronomy.
Thirty Meter Telescope
Located in La Palma, Spain, GTC is the largest single-aperture optical telescope currently in operation, with a 10.4-meter mirror. It contributes to a broad range of studies, including dark matter, star formation, and exoplanet detection.
Gran Telescopio Canarias
Situated in Chile's Atacama Desert, ALMA is a powerful radio telescope made up of 66 high-precision antennas. It probes the coldest and most distant regions of the universe, shedding light on star and planet formation and the structure of galaxies.
ALMA Telescope
Comprising two 8.1-meter telescopes—one in Hawaii and the other in Chile—the Gemini Observatory offers full-sky coverage. These telescopes support diverse astronomical studies, from quasars to the birth of stars and galaxies.
Gemini Observatory
Orbiting Earth, Chandra is NASA's flagship X-ray telescope. It detects high-energy cosmic phenomena such as black holes, neutron stars, and supernova remnants, offering unparalleled views into the violent and energetic universe.
Chandra X-ray Observatory
Located in New Mexico, USA, MROI uses optical interferometry to combine light from multiple telescopes. This setup provides extremely high-resolution images of stars.
Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer
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