Leviathan of Parsonstown
Victorian picture of the "Leviathan of Parsonstown" | |
| Alternative names | Great Rosse |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | Birr Castle, Birr, County Offaly, Leinster, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°05′48″N 7°55′03″W / 53.0967722°N 7.9175782°W |
| Diameter | 72 inches (183 cm) |
| Focal length | 16 m (52 ft 6 in) |
| Website | birrcastle |
| Related media on Commons | |
Leviathan of Parsonstown, or Rosse six-foot telescope, is a historic reflecting telescope of 72 inches (1.83 m) aperture, which was the largest telescope in the world from 1845 until the construction of the 100-inch (2.5 m) Hooker Telescope in California in 1917. The Rosse six-foot telescope was built by William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse on his estate, Birr Castle, at Parsonstown (now Birr) in Ireland.