Hale 200" Telescope

USA / California / Valley Center /
 telescope  Add category
"First light" was in 1948. The Hale 5-meter (200-inch) Reflector is twice the size of the previous largest telescope (the 100 inch Hooker) and collects four times as much light. It held the title as world's largest for much of the 20th century. (The Soviet Union, in the spirit of one-ups-manship, rushed to complete their own super-telescope, the 6-meter 236 inch aperture BTA-6, but theirs didn't work.) The photographic plates used from the earliest days are still yielding helpful data in tracking newly found asteroids.

Also of interest:
* Info on telescope maker Russel W Porter himself at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_W._Porter
and www.stellafane.com/history/early#RWP
* The preceding (Hooker) largest telescope at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Wilson_Observatory#100_inch...
* The succeeding (BAT-6) largest telescope at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Astrophysical_Observatory...
and at www.sao.ru/Doc-en/index.html
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hale_Telescope
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   33°21'22"N   116°51'54"W

Comments

  • Really an interesting place to visit. Plus its a beautiful drive to just get there.
This article was last modified 3 years ago