description MMT Observatory Overview
The MMT Observatory is an optical and infrared astronomical facility on Mount Hopkins in Arizona, within the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory site. Its telescope originally combined six 1.8-meter mirrors on a common mount, an arrangement that gave the instrument its Multi-Mirror Telescope name. In 2000 the segmented system was replaced by a single 6.5-meter primary mirror, while the established MMT name was retained for research involving spectroscopy, imaging, stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects.
help MMT Observatory FAQ
What does MMT Observatory actually observe?
The 6.5 meter MMT is a visible light and infrared telescope on Mount Hopkins in Arizona. Its research covers objects ranging from the Solar System to distant galaxies. [Center for Astrophysics](https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/facilities-technology/telescopes-instruments/mmt-observatory)
Why is it called the Multi-Mirror Telescope if it now has one mirror?
The original telescope used six 1.8 meter mirrors that worked together like a single telescope with an effective aperture of about 4.5 meters. Between 1998 and 2000, those mirrors were replaced by one 6.5 meter primary mirror. [MMT Observatory history](https://www.mmto.org/the-story-of-the-observatory/)
Who operates MMT Observatory?
MMT Observatory is a joint venture of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona. Observing time is mainly available to astronomers connected with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory. [MMT observing overview](https://www.mmto.org/observing-overview/)
Where is Mount Hopkins, and how high is the telescope site?
The telescope stands on Mount Hopkins inside the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory site in southern Arizona. Mount Hopkins is about 2,600 meters high and roughly 45 miles south of Tucson. [MMT Observatory](https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/facilities-technology/telescopes-instruments/mmt-observatory)
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