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Seeing the Universe

before 1610 - naked eye astronomy
1608 - Galileo's hand held telescopes
1673 - Hevelius' long telescopes
1780 - Herschel's large reflectors
1838 - Meridian Circles
1845 - Rosse's Leviathian
1890 - Barnard's camera
1923 - The Hooker 100 inch
1948 - The Palomar 200 inch
1990 - The Hubble Space Telescope
1998 - The Keck 10 metre pair
2000 - The VLT array
2015 - JWST Plans
201? OWL Plans
How much further?

Since their invention, telescopes have become larger and more powerful. In a few decades, we will be able to resolve earth-like planets around neighbouring stars as points of light. What are the limits? Will we ever be able to resolve extra solar planets as disks and make out weather patterns and landforms? Are advanced civilizations already observing the Earth in detail from the stars?  ESA - OWL Telescope

(ESA)