Optical telescope. 2.2-metre optical telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory near Almeria, southern Spain. The mounting (yellow) supports the telescope's primary mirror. The telescope also possesses a Coude mirror (upper left), which focuses light rays at a fixed point below the telescope. The Calar Alto Observatory is situated at an altitude of around 2150 metres. It is run as a joint project by the Spanish National Commission for Astronomy and the German Max Planck Institute for Astronomy.