User:Clearfrienda/Articles/Drafts/2024/Radcliffe Telescope
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Not to be confused with the Radcliffe 24-inch telescope at University of London Observatory.
The Radcliffe Telescope is a 74 in (1.9 m) optical/near-infrared reflecting telescope located at the South African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland, Northern Cape, South Africa.
Quick Facts Location(s), Coordinates ...
Location(s) | Sutherland, Northern Cape, South Africa |
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Coordinates | 32°22′44″S 20°48′41″E |
Organization | South African Astronomical Observatory |
Wavelength | Optical / near-infrared |
Built | 1938-1948 |
First light | 1948 |
Telescope style | Ritchey-Chrétien Cassegrain, Coude or Newtonian reflector |
Diameter | 74 in (1.9 m) |
Mounting | Cross-axis equatorial |
Enclosure | Turret |
Website | SAAO Homepage |
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When construction was completed in 1948, the Radcliffe was the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere, and the joint-fourth largest in the world.[note 1][1] It is currently the second largest in Africa.[note 2]
<stuff about history of the telescope - construction, move to Sutherland etc>
The telescope is equipped with a range of instruments operating for photometry, spectroscopy and polarimetry. These are used by professional astronomers to conduct a wide range of astronomical research. <Give some examples>