The Large Binocular Telescope conducts observations with two 8.4m- diameter mirrors on a common mount, providing a collecting area equal to a single 11.8m mirror and interferometric capability with an edge-to-edge baseline of 22.8m. With these attributes, the LBT is the first of the emerging generation of Extremely Large Telescopes.

The telescope is located on Mt Graham in southeast Arizona, which at 3200m is one of the highest observatory sites in North America. The LBT Observatory operates as an international collaboration with partners in Germany, Italy, and the United States.