Fred Hoyle and the Anglo-Australian telescope

Abstract

The 150-inch telescope on Siding Spring mountain in New South Wales, Australia, stands as a reminder of Fred Hoyle's genius in aspects of astronomy that surprise those who know him only as a theoretician, as one who did not himself use the telescopes that produced the all-important data for his theoretical work. This article shows another side of Fred's abilities – that he could immerse himself in the techniques of telescope building, from mount to mirror, and overcome the many hurdles that had to be faced.