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Its segmented primary spans 10.4 metres across 36 hexagonal pieces. The figure is taken from Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

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Yes. It sits on the Records & Extremes shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The Gran Telescopio Canarias has the largest mirror

Its segmented primary spans 10.4 metres across 36 hexagonal pieces The telescope on La Palma in the Canary Islands began observing in 2009 with a primary mirror 10.4 metres wide, assembled from 36 hexagonal segments that are adjusted individually. Splitting the mirror avoids casting a single piece of glass that size. Its site at 2,267 metres on a volcanic ridge gives some of the steadiest skies in Europe. It sits in Mondo's records & extremes collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias

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Tags: telescopes, spain, astronomy

The Gran Telescopio Canarias has the largest mirror: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Its segmented primary spans 10.4 metres across 36 hexagonal pieces. The figure is taken from Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a records & extremes fact?: Yes. It sits on the Records & Extremes shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.