Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Telescopes are some of the most precisely constructed scientific instruments on the planet. Their mirrors have to be polished to near-perfection to give astronomers a sharp view of the cosmos. So when an employee unloaded the entire clip of a handgun into the Harlan J. Smith telescope's primary mirror, it seems like it should have been the end for the observatory. Shockingly, operations resumed the following night, with the events having an almost negligible effect on the images. Let's explore the paradoxical relationship between the delicate precision and resilience of modern telescopes and learn how it applies to JWST and micrometeoroids.
Written, hosted, and edited by Ansh Gupta
Shot by Ansh Gupta and Caleb Keling
All images attributed to NASA are in the public domain. Additional images licensed under creative commons, as listed below:
[1] Harlan J. Smith at McDonald Observatory by University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory - The uploader on Wikimedia Commons received this from the author/copyright holder via photosubmissions., CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86238137
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
[2] McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Fort Davis by lns1122 - flickr.com/photos/minijoegreen/30679309180/, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=103718393
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
[3] The Harlan J. Smith Telescope, McDonald Obervatory. Texas. by Zereshk - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8000857
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
We stream on Twitch now! Join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at TeachAstronomy:
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Twitter: @activegalactic
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0:00 I Shot a Telescope
0:48 The Telescope that Got Shot
3:04 JWST Micrometeoroid Impact
“Correction:” 1:05 The incident occurred in February of 1970, not 1990 as stated.
Telescopes are some of the most precisely constructed scientific instruments on the planet. Their mirrors have to be polished to near-perfection to give astronomers a sharp view of the cosmos. So when an employee unloaded the entire clip of a handgun into the Harlan J. Smith telescope's primary mirror, it seems like it should have been the end for the observatory. Shockingly, operations resumed the following night, with the events having an almost negligible effect on the images. Let's explore the paradoxical relationship between the delicate precision and resilience of modern telescopes and learn how it applies to JWST and micrometeoroids.
Written, hosted, and edited by Ansh Gupta
Shot by Ansh Gupta and Caleb Keling
All images attributed to NASA are in the public domain. Additional images licensed under creative commons, as listed below:
[1] Harlan J. Smith at McDonald Observatory by University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory - The uploader on Wikimedia Commons received this from the author/copyright holder via photosubmissions., CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86238137
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
[2] McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Fort Davis by lns1122 - flickr.com/photos/minijoegreen/30679309180/, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=103718393
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
[3] The Harlan J. Smith Telescope, McDonald Obervatory. Texas. by Zereshk - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8000857
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
We stream on Twitch now! Join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at TeachAstronomy:
twitch.tv/teachastronomy
Follow us on social media:
Twitter: @activegalactic
Instagram: @activegalacticvideos
Facebook: facebook.com/ActiveGalacticVideos
0:00 I Shot a Telescope
0:48 The Telescope that Got Shot
3:04 JWST Micrometeoroid Impact
“Correction:” 1:05 The incident occurred in February of 1970, not 1990 as stated.
