Mount Wilson

Mount Wilson Observatory was founded in 1904 by George Ellery Hale who was a leader contributor to the field of astrophysics. Since then it has been the site of ground breaking science to further the field of astrophysics. It is built on the very top of the mountain, resting at 5000ft altitude. Hale and some of his colleges worked up there when the area was first built developing new ways to learn more about the night sky. It wasn't long after that Hale set his sights high with the famous 60in telescope that finally got built in 1908 that is still there today. During Hale's lifetime, he also saw the 100in telescope get constructed in 1917, which at the time was the largest telescope in the world. 

Before the founding of Mount Wilson Observatory by George Ellery Hale, it was originally supposed to be an observatory with a 40in telescope that would be part of the University of Southern California Campus. However, the winter after the decision was made to build the observatory it was one of the harshest winters to date. With that and some misunderstandings between the financial backer of the observatory deal for USC, Edward Pickering, the construction of the observatory fell through and was never completed, leaving it open to eventually be Mount Wilson Observatory. 

Hale signed the lease for the observatory on top of Mount Wilson before he even knew that his plans for the structure were approved. When Hale was confident that he would get the financial backing to construct the observatory on top of Mount Wilson he initially signed a 99 year lease with the toll road company for the 40 acres that it would lie on. The land was given to Hale rent free on the assumption that tourism from the observatory would pay for the land itself in no time. Since the lease was signed, before the construction of either of the large telescopes that are there today Hale brought in the Snow solar telescope from Yerkes. That telescope then became the world's first permanently mounted solar telescope. Even that, before all the equipment was brought up, was syphoning in famous scientists to come and run experiments at the top of this mountain.

Since its founding there have been incredible discoveries made, as we all know that is where Edwin Hubble discovered for the first time that the universe is expanding. It was also the site of work done by Albert Michelson in his experience to accurately find the speed of light. Mount Wilson Observatory was the location where Harlow Shapely disproved the notion that the sun was at the center of the milky way galaxy and showed that in fact that our solar system is halfway out to the edge of the milk way. 

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