but God forbid they should go up and cut the trees around it down for a fire break...
Posted on 09/16/2020 9:20:30 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
...looming 5,700 feet over L.A., is arguably one of the world's most important spots for scientific discovery: the Mount Wilson Observatory.
Worryingly, the Bobcat Fire is charging right for it. Only 500 feet away as of Tuesday afternoon.
And Edwin Hubble — yes that Hubble — used the 100-inch telescope to make an even bigger discovery.
"Effectively [Edwin] Hubble discovered the universe in the 1920s up on Mt. Wilson," said John Mulchaey, director of the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, which owns the observatory.
Scientists had long believed that the Milky Way was just about all there was to the universe
As L.A. grew so did the light pollution, making Mt. Wilson less than ideal for observing space. By the 1940s, other observatories began to pop up around the world in more isolated spots. By the 80s, it went largely unused.
(Excerpt) Read more at laist.com ...
Now that it’s made headlines, arsonists will make sure it does burn. Sometimes it is better to keep your mouth shut.
IIRC, many of the Southland area tv/radio transmitters are located there.
What idiot failed to keep the brush trimmed back from the mountain????
The arsonists are just trying to show you that Trump is “anti-science”.
Largely unused.
What idiot failed to keep the brush trimmed back from the mountain????
They have to let the brush grow in order to save the snail darter.
Or something?
Yes. Light scattering has pretty much made the telescope useless. It would be better to move it somewhere else if possible.
Was there in about 95. At that time driving up I commented to the wife..”if they ever have a fire”...
Yes, they are. Great view of LA, Orange County and Catalina from up there (well, not today).
but God forbid they should go up and cut the trees around it down for a fire break...
Wasn’t that the observatory that discovered the Martian invasion? Or was that Mt. Palomar?
At one time, the 200-inch reflector at Mt. Wilson was the largest optical telescope in the world, I believe. Is it still there?
Hah...it was some observatory back east.
You’re thinking of the Hale telescope on Mt Palomar.
It’s a paper weight... Too much light pollution so the loss is negligible.
That 200 inch reflector is the Hale Observatory. It is on Mt. Palomar, closer to San Diego.
Not really. For serious work, yes. But it’s a valuable piece of history.
Not even the Dumbocrats running California would let a historic site like this burn, would they?
There are fire trails throughout those mountains I rode dirt bikes on in my youth. single lane dirt roads carved so as to allow firefighters to get where they might need get to.
Loads of fun.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.