Hi Mark. Thanks for the information on on the Hale telescope. I will be back in California next year (we used to live in San francisco). I will try to get down to see the Mt. Palomar then. Again, thanks to you Cheryl-Anne for your reporting.
Phil Manning Chapel Hill, NC http://www.scibooks.org --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "mpetersen123" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Hi Phillip, > > Thanks for the kind words to Cheryl-Anne and I. The 200 inch > telescope at Palomar is truly an amazing sight. As you probably > know, it was the largest telescope in the world for many decades. > The 2 Keck telescopes have surpassed it in size but the 200 inch > still represents the pinnacle for a monolithic single mirror > instrument. It's really a massive instrument. The tube alone weighs > something like 150 tons. All that to precisely support only an ounce > of aluminum which provides the reflective surface. > > Here is an entertaining photo showing the posted speed limit at the > telescope: > http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/images/speed.limit.jpg > > In answer to your question, there is a visitors gallery which is open > to the public. The gallery is enclosed in glass and is inside the > dome of the 200 inch itself so much can be seen from this vantage > point. There is also a museum and gift shop open to the public. > > I do have a few interesting stories to share about the observatory. > I've had 4 opportunities over the past 25 years to take private tours > of the 200 inch. One involved a friend of mine who received a ph'd > in Astrophysics from CalTech. He was given the keys to the > observatory so we were able to roam freely around and see it close > up. It ended up being a foggy night so the researchers that were > there were bored (and bummed!) and we ended up talking to them for > quite awhile about their research (something about measuring iron > content in the stars in other galaxies). > > The most recent trip was last year and was really special. A friend > of mine who is one of the principles of a company called SpaceDev > (which was in the news recently for manufacturing the booster that > powered SpaceShip One), hired as an intern the son of the caretaker > of the 200 inch. As a treat the caretaker took us on the most > informative private tour of the entire observatory that I've ever > been on. As a special treat we were allowed to star gaze through the > 60 inch telescope which in itself is an amazing research grade > instrument. I've never seen such bright, perfectly focused, deep sky > objects in my life. It was like looking through a porthole into > space. Unfortunately, star gazing on my 10" telescope has never been > the same since... > > Regards, > Mark > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "pvmanning2003" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Hi Cheryl, > > Thank you and Mark for your updates on the ASH conference. Your > > communications were clear, enlightening, and useful, which is all > you can > > ask from a journalist. > > I really envy your trip to Mt. Palomar. I would love to see the > telescope > > where Edwin Hubble discovered that all the galaxies were moving > away > > from one another, a finding that led to the Big Bang theory. Did > you need > > to arrange your visit with someone or did you simply walk in and > look > > around? > > > > Best, > > Phillip Manning > > Chapel Hill, NC > > http://www.scibooks.org > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $4.98 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Q7_YsB/neXJAA/yQLSAA/8zSolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> New! Sign up for local CML support group meetings in your local community at http://cml.meetup.com Apply for Commercial Real Estate loans online and submit your deal to dozens of hungry lenders in just minutes. Loan programs for all types of business and commercial real estate. Apply anytime at http://realestatezoo.com CML (Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Support List) --------------------------------- Part Of CMLHope.Com An International Community Of CML Patients For more information: http://cmlhope.com Post Message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change To No Mail/Web: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change To Digest: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change To Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] List Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] CML Group Web Site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CML Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CML/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
