Built in 1962, the building was designed by American architect Myron Goldsmith and Bangladeshi-American[1] structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan.

[3] In 2018, the telescope received a 4.5 million USD grant for an enhanced visitor center and other programs, and to overall revitalize the national icon.

[6] The telescope uses the heliostat at the top of its main tower to direct the Sun's light down a long shaft to the primary mirrors.

The theoretical resolution of the main telescope is 0.07 arcsec, although this is never reached because atmospheric distortions degrade the image quality severely.

The largest instrument for solar research in the world, it presents American astronomers with a unique tool for investigating the nearest of the stars, our sun.

This project is of exceptional interest to all our citizens...The third mirror of the main telescope which sends the light down into the observing room can be moved above three different positions.