page_title: Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900
section_title: Erection of the telescope
hierarchical_section_title: Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900 / Erection of the telescope
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: La grande lunette astronomique à l'exposition universelle de Paris en 1900, photo extraite de Strand Magazine', vol. 19 (1900), p. 612-18 English: Great Paris Exhibition of 1900 Telescope, as erected, from Strand Magazine, vol. 19 (1900), pp. 612-18
context_page_description: The Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900, with an objective lens of 1.25 m in diameter, was the largest refracting telescope ever constructed. It was built as the centerpiece of the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900. Its construction was instigated in 1892 by François Deloncle, a member of the French Chambre des Députés. Since it was built for exhibit purposes within a large metropolis, and its design made it difficult to aim at astronomical objects, it was not suited for scientific use. When the year-long exposition was over, its builders were unable to sell it. It was ultimately broken up for scrap; the lenses are still stored away at the Paris Observatory.
context_section_description: The telescope was erected in the Palais de l’Optique on the Champ de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower. The tube, oriented north-south, was made up of 24 cylinders 1.5 m (59 in) in diameter and rested on 7 concrete and steel pillars; its axis was 7 m (23 ft) above the floor. The room at the end which housed siderostat with the mirror had a movable dome to allow direct access to the sky.
caption: The instrument in place
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