Mount Wilson Observatory

You can see why in Ancient history; they believed their Gods lived atop the mountains because the views are quite celestial. These are the moments where everything melts away, and you can’t help but think how beautiful this world can be from a distance. We can accomplish so much and do so many marvellous deeds if we would take in these precious moments and cherish them. There are so many features to view in this world and not nearly enough time to experience them all. Those of you who do get the opportunity to visit Mount Wilson Observatory, sit and realise how fortunate you are to stand and behold the majesty.

Mount Wilson Observatory view over Los Angeles

Something else that makes your everyday issues seem so insignificant is when you look up. The vast cosmos continues stretching out so far that we can’t physically see its end. Not to say, there is an actual ending, and everything will stop. There could be, though. That is the thing that gets to me about our Universe; it’s so impressively massive that we can’t comprehend it. The Earth is so incredibly microscopic in comparison to other stars and galaxies that everyone else out there could be hard-pressed to locate us or, know where to look.

Mountain Driving

Driving up any mountain road can be both breathtakingly scenic and terrifying.

the dangers of mountain roads slideshow

I want to take a moment and remind everyone of a little thing called common courtesy. There were a lot of cyclists peddling up this mountain road, so please give them as much room as you safely can. Two cyclists were struck by a car and thrown over the edge on this particular morning. They were airlifted, in critical condition, to the nearest trauma centre. I hope these individuals were fortunate enough to make a full recovery.

Take a few extra moments, slow down, enjoy the views and keep your eyes peeled so we can all make it home to our loved ones.

the breathtaking views slideshow

our visit to the Mount Wilson Observatory

I could go on talking about space, planets, galaxies, other forms of life and my theories, but let’s get down to the actual visit. You MUST have a parking pass. You buy these at the Ranger Station on the Mount Wilson turn off, or the Pavilion. We went up to the cafe to inquire about our pass.

The lovely lady behind the counter informed us that a guided tour would be starting in under five minutes. Our original plan was to wander around on our own, but we decided to try it, seeing as there was only a small group.

the tour commencing slideshow

$15.00 apiece for the tour is well worth it in our opinion. Our guide, Michael Rudy, was very informative and passionate about the property. We learned what an amazing individual Mr Hale was and the gambles he made that boded well for scientific research. Plus we were able to go inside the 150-foot solar tower, meet a researcher and hear the importance of what he does. After that, we went inside the 60-inch telescope, and finally across the “Bridge To The Stars” to the 100-inch Hooker Telescope.

bridge to the stars slideshow

You can walk into the 100-inch on your own and see the telescope from a viewing room. Although you do not get the in–depth information, or sit next to this impressive piece of scientific equipment, where such prominent persons as Einstein and Stephen Hawking have. If that isn’t worth $15.00 to help preserve this non-profit site, I certainly don’t know what is.

It is amazing some of the miraculous discoveries and importance this mountain top holds in scientific history. Modern astronomy was, in a sense born here and that is very special.

the history of Mount Wilson Observatory

The Mount Wilson Observatory was founded in 1904 by Carnegie Institution of Washington, under the leadership of George Ellery Hale. They chose this specific site, because of the ability to see into the sky is the best in North America. That may sound a little improbable seeing as you have immense light pollution from Los Angeles only miles away. In actuality, it refers to the low levels of atmospheric turbulence. That is what causes stars to look as if they “twinkle” which, to the naked eye, seems appealing. However, it causes the smearing of images. In this particular spot, the large telescopes can use high magnification since the stars stay steady.

All of the pieces of the telescopes were brought up a by mule-drawn wagons along a small 9-mile dirt road, before to the Angeles Crest Highway which was built 1935. As you can imagine, this made the journey quite harrowing. The original route is visible on Mount Harvard, directly south of the observatory.

Mount Wilson Observatory Tour — Mt. Harvard. The old Toll Road – All the equipement was transported via this route, as it was once the only access to the obseratory.

snow solar telescope

The first permanent structure to call Mount Wilson Observatory ‘home,’ was the Snow Solar Telescope. Donated by Helen Snow, it moved to this site in 1904. It was responsible for providing the best solar images and spectrographic data of the time. It is still in operation today, but mostly for astronomical education.

60-FOOT SOLAR TOWER

This tower was built in 1908 and is the pioneer of the vertical telescope design. Hale used it to discover magnetic fields in sunspots, which in fact, were the first magnetic fields seen outside of the Earth!

Today The University of California uses the telescope to study helioseismology to improve the understanding of the interior of our Sun.

For more information about the 60-foot solar tower click HERE

Mount Wilson Observatory Tour Left - 150ft solar telescope Right -60ft solar telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory — Left – 150ft solar telescope Right – 60ft solar telescope

150-FOOT SOLAR TOWER

This tower, constructed in 1910, remained the largest Solar Tower of its kind until 1962. Its design utilises a tower within a tower, to minimise vibrations from the wind. From 1917 to the present, hand-drawn sunspots and studies of their magnetic fields have provided invaluable information.

Mount Wilson Observatory 150ft Solar Telescope built in 1908

Sunspots are areas cooler than everything else around them, which can last for several weeks and have a cycle of 11 years. An interesting fact I learned, was that during the last ice age, the Sun had little to no sunspots. The previous sunspot recorded was in September of 2018, and that winter provided some strangely cold weather patterns. You would think the more cool spots the Sun had on its surface would reflect the same on Earth, wouldn’t you? Very strange how the opposite is true!

For more information on the 150-foot solar tower click HERE

slide show of the 150-FOOT SOLAR TOWER

Mount Wilson-Steve has worked here for over 40 years as a Solar Telescope operator. Now a volunteer, due to financial cutbacks!

60-INCH TELESCOPE

This revolutionary telescope completed in 1908, with a 5-foot diameter mirror, was the largest of its kind until 1917. Its design was the precursor for future observatories. Its first accomplishment was the measurement of the Milky Way Galaxy and precisely where are position is in it. Wow, what a start!

Private groups can rent this telescope for full or half nights through the Mount Wilson Observatory Institute.

THE HOOKER 100-INCH TELESCOPE

This telescope is the star of Mount Wilson Observatory. Completed in 1917 it became the largest in the world until 1948, over-taking its 60-inch little brother just a few hundred feet away. It is put to work in all sorts of studies of stars, nebulae, galaxies, planets, moons and more. Perhaps the best known was in the 20s, proving spiral nebulae are distant galaxies outside of the Milky Way, and that our Universe is expanding. That has laid the way for modern cosmology and the principle theory behind the Big Bang. Today its use is for the discovery of planets around distant stars and experimental laser communication with spacecraft.

THE HOOKER 100-INCH TELESCOPE slide show

the astronomical museum

This small museum holds some great photographs of our solar system taken by the telescopes. It also has a miniature recreation of the mountain top from the 1920s. There are also some pieces of some other early equipment used for the telescopes.

astronomical museum slideshow

Mount Wilson-Astronomical Museum-built in 1937 replacing an earler, smaller structure.