The Discovery Channel Telescope: A unique fusion of research and outreach

Forty miles southeast of Flagstaff at the Happy Jack site, the DCT is nearing completion. This 4.3-meter telescope rises seven stories above the top of a cinder cone. Lowell Observatory and Discovery Communications are building this $53 million facility to push the frontier of knowledge and bring the marvels of the cosmos to millions.
The DCT will be Lowell’s flagship research telescope. Through our programming and online content, we’ll bring you an ongoing, inside look at the DCT and its fascinating science.

What’s so special about the DCT?

Lowell astronomers will use the DCT to answer fundamental questions about our universe. In fact, some big questions – for example, how our solar system formed and how dwarf galaxies evolve – are only the beginning. The Ritchey-Chretien (RC) instrument configuration, which will be deployed at “first light,” will allow Lowell astronomers to make spectroscopic and imaging observations simultaneously, answering questions about a wide range of research topics.