segmented mirror
Segmented mirror of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope.
A segmented mirror is a large mirror construction technique in which many smaller elements are built and then actively controlled to conform to the shape of the required large mirror. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope, for example, uses a segmented mirror, as shown in the illustration. The same technique will be used in the construction of the world's largest optical telescope, the Giant Magellan Telescope.