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What limits the size of a telescope on Earth?

Answer 1

The cost.

The short answer is cost. There is no practical reason for a telescope's maximum size; today's largest mirrors are constructed by segmenting larger mirrors that are assembled together. The weight of the entire mirror is problematic, particularly because it must move mechanically with large motors. However, everything is possible if there are enough resources, so there is no physical limit.

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Answer 2

Hailey Alexander

The main factors limiting the size of telescopes on Earth are atmospheric turbulence, which blurs images, and gravity, which can deform large telescope mirrors. Additionally, practical considerations such as cost, location, and engineering constraints play a role in determining telescope size.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.