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From Popular Mechanics:

2009 has been deemed the International Year of Astronomy thanks to the 400th anniversary of Galileo's astounding space observations that changed the way humans views the sky. To celebrate, 17 radio telescopes across five continents coordinated for over 33 consecutive hours last week to observe three different quasars—supermassive black holes, each of which lies at the heart of a galaxy. This is the first time that those antennae across the world have been linked in real time through high-speed optical networks. Who said astronomers don't know how to party?

While Galileo's small looking glass was capable of magnifying objects about 20 to 30 times, today astronomers employ enormous optical telescopes to gather space's visible light, as well as telescopes capable of measuring radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum—from gamma rays emitted by pulsars to long radio waves from the deepest regions of space. Today's best telescopes are astounding feats—and astronomers are improving them constantly. Here are the five most powerful telescopes out today—and five more that will define the future of astronomy.

Full article:
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