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Top 10 Largest Radio Telescopes by Dish Diameter in the World

The ten largest single-dish radio telescopes in the world, ranked by aperture diameter, from China's massive 500-meter FAST to the 64-meter Parkes Observatory in Australia.

Updated July 31, 2026 10 ranked 3 sources

Quick answer: 1. FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope), 2. Arecibo Observatory (collapsed 2020), 3. Effelsberg Radio Telescope, 4. Green Bank Telescope (GBT), 5. Lovell Telescope, 6. Nanshan RT-70 (Urumqi, China), 7. DSS-43 (Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex), 8. DSS-63 (Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex), 9. DSS-14 (Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex), 10. Parkes Observatory (Murriyang).

Radio telescopes are humanity's ears to the universe, capturing radio waves from distant galaxies, pulsars, and cosmic phenomena invisible to optical telescopes. The largest single-dish radio telescopes are engineering marvels that push the boundaries of construction and precision. China's FAST, completed in 2020, is the undisputed leader with its 500-meter aperture, followed by the legendary Arecibo Observatory (which collapsed in 2020) and the Effelsberg 100-meter telescope in Germany. This list ranks the ten largest single-dish radio telescopes in the world by dish diameter. Interferometric arrays (like the Very Large Array or ALMA) are excluded because their effective aperture is a virtual construct combining multiple smaller dishes. Only traditional filled-aperture, steerable, or semi-steerable single-dish telescopes are included.

Dish diameter (meters)

Dish diameter (meters)
FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope)
500 meters
Arecibo Observatory (collapsed 2020)
305 meters
Effelsberg Radio Telescope
100 meters
Green Bank Telescope (GBT)
100 meters
Lovell Telescope
76 meters
Nanshan RT-70 (Urumqi, China)
70 meters
DSS-43 (Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex)
70 meters
DSS-63 (Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex)
70 meters
DSS-14 (Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex)
70 meters
Parkes Observatory (Murriyang)
64 meters

The ranking

1

FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope)

FAST is the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, with a 500-meter (1,640-foot) diameter. Located in a natural karst depression in Pingtang, Guizhou Province, China, it became fully operational in January 2020. The telescope's design uses a fixed spherical reflector with an active surface of 4,450 triangular panels that can be adjusted to form a parabolic shape for steering. FAST has discovered hundreds of new pulsars and has been used for neutral hydrogen surveys, detecting more than 1,000 new pulsars since operations began. Its sensitivity is approximately 2.5 times that of the former Arecibo Observatory.

Location: Pingtang, Guizhou, ChinaType: Fixed reflector with active surfaceFrequency range: 70 MHz – 3 GHzYears active: 2020–present
2

Arecibo Observatory (collapsed 2020)

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico was the world's largest single-dish radio telescope for 57 years, with a 305-meter (1,000-foot) diameter fixed spherical reflector. Built into a natural sinkhole, Arecibo was legendary for its contributions to astronomy, including the discovery of the first binary pulsar (which earned a Nobel Prize), the first detection of exoplanets, and the Arecibo Message sent to space in 1974. The telescope was irreparably damaged in 2020 when its 900-ton receiver platform fell onto the dish after cable failures, and it was decommissioned and demolished later that year.

Location: Arecibo, Puerto Rico, USAType: Fixed reflector (collapsed 2020)Years active: 1963–2020Frequency range: 300 MHz – 10 GHz
3

Effelsberg Radio Telescope

The Effelsberg 100-meter radio telescope, located near Bad Münstereifel, Germany, is the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world. Operated by the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, it has been in service since 1972. The telescope's 100-meter dish can be aimed with precision across the entire sky visible from its northern latitude. Effelsberg has been used for a wide range of research, including studies of pulsars, masers, molecular clouds, and radio galaxies. It remains one of the most productive radio telescopes in the world.

Location: Bad Münstereifel, GermanyType: Fully steerableFrequency range: 408 MHz – 86 GHzYears active: 1972–present
4

Green Bank Telescope (GBT)

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in Green Bank, West Virginia, is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope at 100 meters diameter and the largest movable land-based structure on Earth. Operated by the Green Bank Observatory, the GBT entered service in 2000. It is located in the National Radio Quiet Zone, which limits radio interference from nearby sources. The telescope has been used for groundbreaking research on pulsars, the interstellar medium, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

Location: Green Bank, West Virginia, USAType: Fully steerableFrequency range: 100 MHz – 116 GHzYears active: 2000–present
5

Lovell Telescope

The Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, England, is a 76-meter (250-foot) fully steerable radio telescope that was the largest in the world when completed in 1957. It was originally built to track the Soviet Sputnik satellite and played a critical role in the early space race, tracking both US and Soviet spacecraft. The telescope has been upgraded multiple times and remains operational, used for research on pulsars, hydrogen line studies, and tracking spacecraft. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Jodrell Bank Observatory.

Location: Cheshire, England, United KingdomType: Fully steerableFrequency range: 150 MHz – 5 GHzYears active: 1957–present
6

Nanshan RT-70 (Urumqi, China)

The Nanshan 70-meter radio telescope, also known as the Xinjiang 70m Radio Telescope, is located at the Nanshan Station of the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory near Urumqi, China. Completed in 2023, it is one of the largest fully steerable radio telescopes in the world. The telescope is part of China's deep space network and is used for both astronomical research and spacecraft tracking. It operates across multiple frequency bands from L-band to Ku-band, supporting observations of pulsars, masers, and VLBI measurements.

Location: Urumqi, Xinjiang, ChinaType: Fully steerableFrequency range: L-band – Ku-bandYears active: 2023–present
7

DSS-43 (Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex)

DSS-43 is a 70-meter radio antenna at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) in Tidbinbilla, Australia. It is one of three NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) facilities spaced roughly 120 degrees apart around the globe. The antenna was originally built as a 64-meter dish in 1973 and was expanded to 70 meters in 1987. DSS-43 is the only 70-meter antenna in the Southern Hemisphere capable of providing two-way communications with spacecraft exploring the outer solar system.

Location: Tidbinbilla, Canberra, AustraliaType: Fully steerableFrequency range: S-band – Ka-bandYears active: 1973–present
8

DSS-63 (Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex)

DSS-63 is a 70-meter radio antenna at the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex (MDSCC) in Robledo de Chavela, Spain. Like its counterpart in Canberra, it was originally built as a 64-meter dish and expanded to 70 meters in the 1980s. The antenna is part of NASA's Deep Space Network and provides critical communications for interplanetary missions, including the Voyager spacecraft, Mars rovers, and the James Webb Space Telescope. The Madrid complex provides coverage for spacecraft when the Goldstone and Canberra complexes are over the horizon.

Location: Robledo de Chavela, Madrid, SpainType: Fully steerableFrequency range: S-band – Ka-bandYears active: 1974–present
9

DSS-14 (Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex)

DSS-14, nicknamed "Mars," is a 70-meter antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in the Mojave Desert, California. It is the largest DSN antenna and was originally built as a 64-meter dish in 1966, then expanded to 70 meters in 1988. The antenna has been involved in nearly every major NASA deep space mission, including the Apollo moon landings, the Voyager flybys, the Mars rovers, and the New Horizons Pluto flyby. It is the only DSN 70-meter antenna in the Northern Hemisphere.

Location: Barstow, California, USAType: Fully steerableFrequency range: S-band – Ka-bandYears active: 1966–present
10

Parkes Observatory (Murriyang)

The Parkes 64-meter radio telescope (officially named Murriyang) in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia, is one of the most famous radio telescopes in the world. Operated by CSIRO, it has been in service since 1961. Parkes relayed the television signals from the Apollo 11 moon landing and was featured in the 2000 film "The Dish." The telescope has been used for discovering pulsars, including the first millisecond pulsar, and has been a key part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). It remains highly productive with ongoing upgrades.

Location: Parkes, New South Wales, AustraliaType: Fully steerableFrequency range: 700 MHz – 26 GHzYears active: 1961–present

Full comparison

# Name LocationTypeFrequency rangeYears active
1 FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope) Pingtang, Guizhou, ChinaFixed reflector with active surface70 MHz – 3 GHz2020–present
2 Arecibo Observatory (collapsed 2020) Arecibo, Puerto Rico, USAFixed reflector (collapsed 2020)300 MHz – 10 GHz1963–2020
3 Effelsberg Radio Telescope Bad Münstereifel, GermanyFully steerable408 MHz – 86 GHz1972–present
4 Green Bank Telescope (GBT) Green Bank, West Virginia, USAFully steerable100 MHz – 116 GHz2000–present
5 Lovell Telescope Cheshire, England, United KingdomFully steerable150 MHz – 5 GHz1957–present
6 Nanshan RT-70 (Urumqi, China) Urumqi, Xinjiang, ChinaFully steerableL-band – Ku-band2023–present
7 DSS-43 (Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex) Tidbinbilla, Canberra, AustraliaFully steerableS-band – Ka-band1973–present
8 DSS-63 (Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex) Robledo de Chavela, Madrid, SpainFully steerableS-band – Ka-band1974–present
9 DSS-14 (Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex) Barstow, California, USAFully steerableS-band – Ka-band1966–present
10 Parkes Observatory (Murriyang) Parkes, New South Wales, AustraliaFully steerable700 MHz – 26 GHz1961–present

How we ranked this

Radio telescopes are ranked by the diameter of their primary reflector dish in meters. Only single-dish (filled-aperture) telescopes are included — interferometric arrays that combine multiple dishes are excluded as their effective aperture is not a physical single dish. The list includes both fully steerable dishes and fixed-reflector telescopes (like FAST and the former Arecibo) that can be steered electronically. Data is sourced from Wikipedia's list of radio telescopes, observatory specifications, and published scientific literature.

FAQ

What is the largest radio telescope in the world?

FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope) in China is the largest single-dish radio telescope in the world at 500 meters in diameter. It became fully operational in 2020 and is located in Guizhou Province.

What happened to the Arecibo Observatory?

The Arecibo Observatory's 305-meter dish collapsed in December 2020 after its support cables failed. The 900-ton receiver platform fell onto the dish, causing irreparable damage. The telescope had been the world's largest for 57 years.

What is the difference between a single-dish telescope and an interferometric array?

A single-dish telescope uses one large reflector to collect radio waves. An interferometric array (like the Very Large Array or ALMA) combines signals from multiple smaller dishes to create a virtual telescope with an effective aperture equal to the distance between the dishes. Arrays can achieve much higher resolution but are not counted as single-dish telescopes.

Sources