Large multi-lensed telescope - A receiver for point sources in the sky

A large 80-in. (2-meter) multilensed computer-controlled and encoder-pointed telescope is described. It is being used as the receiver in the high-performance lunar laser ranging station on Mt. Haleakala on the island of Maui, Hawaii; however, it could also be used for other astronomical applications when the moon is not up. This telescope, which was designed for applications requiring aperture but not field, could affect the design of future very large astronomical instruments intended mainly for point-source spectroscopy and similar applications. The telescope and its performance to date are discussed.