Large Binocular Telescope

The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is a pair of 8.4 meter visible-light reflector telescopes on Mount Graham (3221 m) in Arizona. The twin reflectors give it both light-capturing capability and ability to capture fine detail through optical interferometry (that facility termed the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer or LBTI) or to carry out simultaneous observations of an object using two instruments simultaneously. One reflector has been in production since 2005 and the second since 2008. The reflectors are mounted together (with the same field of view, FOV) such that their centers are 14.4 meters' apart. Adaptive optics systems are included. Instruments:

• LBC - pair of wide FOV cameras (LBCR and LBCB), R and B indicating red and blue, the R camera covering mid-visible to near infrared and the B covering mid-visible to near ultraviolet.
• MODS - pair of multi object double optical spectrographs (MODS1 and MODS2).
• LUCI - pair of multi object infrared spectrographs (LUCI1 and LUCI2) (earlier known as LUCIFER).
• PEPSI - high resolution optical spectrograph.
• LBTI/LMIRCAM - mid infrared imager and spectrograph with coronagraph (using the interferometer).
• LBTI/NOMIC - N band nulling imager (using the interferometer).
• FLAO - "first light adaptive optics" system.
• ARGOS - guide device (produces laser guide stars)

Formerly listed:

• LINC/Nirvana - wide-field near-infrared camera.

Future:

• SHARK - pair of coronagraph/imagers, SHARK-VIS (optical) and SHARK-NIR (near infrared). These began commissioning in 2023 and possibly one or both are now usable.
• iLocator - infrared RV-method spectrometer.