multimirror telescope

Multimirror telescopes are a design innovation in astronomy aimed at increasing light-gathering power more economically than building a single, larger mirror. Instead of one massive mirror, these telescopes use multiple smaller mirror segments working together.1

An example is the Keck Observatory, which features 36 adjustable mirror segments per telescope. Another was the original Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT), which combined light from six mirrors to achieve the power of a single, larger telescope, costing significantly less than a conventional telescope of comparable size. While technological advancements have made larger single mirrors more affordable, multimirror designs remain an important approach in astronomical observation.12