Telescopes and Facilities

Yerkes Observatory houses the largest refracting telescope in the world! It began astronomical observations upon its completion in 1897 and remains a technological wonder still capable of bringing inspiration and the beauty of space to our eyes.

Our 24" Boller and Chivens telescope is situated in the northeast dome at Yerkes Observatory. It was installed in 1964 and is still in use for public observing and research. It can be operated remotely and is accessible through SkyNet. The f-ratio is f/3.5, focal length: 8230 mm and plate, and plate scale: 25 arcsec/mm.

The 41" reflector actually has a 40" primary, but is referred to as the "41 inch" to avoid confusion with the Great Refractor. This telescope was constructed by Warner and Swasey in 1967. The mount design is an English or cross-axis type and the scope is situated in the southeast dome at Yerkes Observatory.