1980s
- 1980 - Completion of construction of the VLA, located in Socorro, New Mexico
- 1983 - Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) telescope
- 1984 - IRAM 30-m telescope at Pico Veleta near Granada, Spain completed
- 1987 - 15-m James Clerk Maxwell Telescope UK submillimetre telescope installed at Mauna Kea Observatory
- 1987 - 5-m Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST) installed at the ESO La Silla Observatory
- 1988 - Australia Telescope Compact Array aperture synthesis radio telescope begins operation, located near Narrabri, Australia
- 1989 - Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite
Read more about this topic: Timeline Of Telescopes, Observatories, And Observing Technology, Common Era (A.D.), 1900s