Explore Research at the University of Florida: Eric Ford, an associate professor of astronomy explains UF’s partnership with Spain and Mexico to create the Gran Telescopio Canaries, the world largest optical telescope. It is located in the Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, one of the best sites in the world for optical astronomy. Ford describes how the massive telescope works and is being used to observe particular celestial bodies that the GTC is being used to observe. Less