 LBT on the cover of VMEbus Systems magazine  Forest fire approaches the LBT in July 2004 The Large Binocular Telescope (originally named the Columbus Project) is a joint project of the Italian astronomical community (represented by the Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)), the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, the LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft in Germany (Max-Planck-Institutfür Astronomie in Heidelberg, Landessternwarte in Heidelberg, Astrophysikalisches Institut in Potsdam, Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik in Munich, and Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie in Bonn), The Ohio State University, Research Corporation in Tucson, and the University of Notre Dame.
The final configuration will be a telescope with two 8.4-meter mirrors mounted on a common base (hence the name "binocular"), taking full advantage of active and adaptive optics. Also, an interferometric mode will be available, with a baseline of 23 meters.
When the LBT is fully operational, it will be the world's most technologically advanced optical telescope, creating images in the near-infrared expected to be nearly 10 times sharper than images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
It is located on the 10,700-foot Mount Graham in southeastern Arizona. The choice of location sparked considerable local controversy, both among the San Carlos Apache Tribe who claimed the mountain as sacred and environmentalists who contended that the observatory would cause the demise of the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel. Environmentalists and members of the tribe filed some 40 lawsuits - eight of which ended up before a federal appeals court - but the project ultimately prevailed.
The telescope and mountain observatory also survived two major forest fires in eight years, the most recent in the summer of 2004.
The telescope was dedicated in October 2004 and is expected to be complete in 2005.
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