Multimirror infrared telescope planned

The University of Arizona and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory are collaborating to build a large optical‐infrared multimirror telescope. The telescope will have a light‐collecting area equal to that of a conventional 176‐inch telescope, but will consist of six 72‐inch telescopes mounted on a common framework in a hexagonal array around a common axis with their images combined on this axis through two plane‐mirror reflections. The six‐barreled tube structure will be supported in an altitude–azimuth geometry and will be located at SAO's Mt. Hopkins station (elevation 8500 ft), 40 miles south of Tucson, Arizona.