The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) is a scientific facility for studies of the Sun at Haleakala Observatory on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

[6] The DKIST can observe the Sun in visible to near-infrared wavelengths and has a 4.24-meter primary mirror in an off-axis Gregorian configuration that provides a 4-meter clear, unobstructed aperture.

Adaptive optics correct for atmospheric distortions and blurring of the solar image, which enables high-resolution observations of features on the Sun as small as 20 km (12 miles).

[11] The primary mirror was delivered to the site the night of 1–2 August 2017[12] and the completed telescope provided images of the sun in unprecedented detail in December 2019.

One key component of the DKIST is its adaptive and active optics system, which is responsible for correcting distortions in the telescope's images caused by the Earth's atmosphere.

The system also includes a wavefront sensor, which measures the distortions in the incoming light and feeds this information back to the deformable mirror to make the necessary adjustments.

It uses a network of sensors and actuators to constantly monitor and adjust the position of the telescope's mirrors, ensuring that they remain properly aligned and focused.

These images can be used to study the Sun's surface and atmosphere in greater detail, helping scientists to better understand the processes that drive solar activity and space weather.

As of 2014[update], twenty-two institutions had joined the collaboration building DKIST:[21] Media related to Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope at Wikimedia Commons