The Kraus-type radio telescope design was created by Dr. John D. Kraus (1910–2004).

Kraus-type telescopes are transit instruments, where the flat primary mirror reflects radio waves towards the spherical secondary mirror, which focuses it towards a mobile focal carriage. The primary tilts north–south to select any object near the meridian, while the focal carriage moves east–west along railroad ties to track objects near transit.

Examples

The Nançay radio telescope in France and the former Big Ear in Ohio are Kraus-type telescopes, and the southern section of the RATAN-600 ring in Russia can operate as a Kraus-type telescope.