Keck Telescope

Mauna Kea, Hawaii hosts several telescopes. The most powerful is the W. M. Keck Observatory. Keck has 2 telescopes and both have mirrors which are 10 metres wide. 

Keck Telescope
Keck Telescope
Credit: Keck

Keck can observe using both optical and infrared light. Its advanced detectors can combine the light from both telescopes. 

The moving parts of each telescope have a mass of 270 tonnes. Each of the 10 m main mirrors are made up of 36 hexagonal pieces. These pieces fit together to work as a single mirror. The position of each mirror can be adjusted to an accuracy of 4 millionths of a millimetre. A system called active optics makes these corrections two times a second.

Both telescopes also have adaptive optics. These correct for the blurring caused by movements in the air. Tools like this help show us the Universe in greater detail. 

Keck has produced images of objects in our Solar System which are almost as detailed as those made by space telescopes. Its tools have ensured the Keck observatory has remained one of the best in the world for almost 20 years.

Saturn's largest moon - Titan
Saturn's moon - Titan
Credit: Keck
The two sides of Uranus
Credit: Keck