Mount Wilson Observatory, California - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

The orbiting space telescope known as the Hubble Telescope was named after the famous astronomer Edwin Hubble, who is pictured on the stamp. But the telescope that made Edwin Hubble famous was the 100 inch Hooker telescope here at the Mount Wilson Observatory near Pasadena, California. This telescope was the brainchild of George Ellery Hale who founded the observatory in 1904. Hale (who also has a telescope named after him – the 200-inch reflector at Mt. Palomar) asked Hubble to join this observatory as a staff astronomer in 1917. Hale and Hubble knew each other from their days at the University of Chicago where Hale was a professor of astrophysics (and director of the Yerkes Observatory) and Hubble was pursuing a PhD.

During his years at the Mount Wilson Observatory, Edwin Hubble, working primarily with the 100-inch telescope, made many contributions to astrophysics. Among these was determining that spiral nebulae were much further away than previously thought and were actually galaxies in their own right consisting of millions of stars. Prior to this, scientists believed that our own Milky Way galaxy was the extent of the universe. His analysis of the galactic red shift led to various theories of an expanding universe and eventually to “Big Bang” cosmology.

The observatory complex contains several other telescopes besides the 100-inch reflector. These include the 60-inch reflector (1908), the Snow Solar telescope (1905), two more solar towers and several interferometers, the most recent of which is Georgia Tech’s CHARA array (2004). Many of these telescopes held the title of “world’s largest” when first built. The 100-inch reflector was the largest telescope in the world for over 30 years.

The Mount Wilson site was chosen because of the existence of a temperature inversion layer which produces very clear, still air at the summit, ideal for astronomical observation. Ironically, these same conditions produce layers of smog in the Los Angeles area below (not ideal for astronomical observation). Nowadays, “light pollution” from Los Angeles presents such a significant problem to astronomical observation that most scientific work is performed elsewhere, at more modern (and more remote) sites.

Today, the Mount Wilson Observatory is open to the public. There is a small museum on the premises and various tours are available. You and your group can even reserve the 100-inch telescope for a night of viewing, for a small fee of course (currently $5000 per night). I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you brought a pipe and tried to speak with an English accent like Edwin Hubble. Similarly, the 60-inch reflector is also available by reservation. It’s bargain-priced at just $1700 per night. And if you want to see what the 100-inch dome looks like right now, the official website listed below has a webcam aimed directly at it.

Stamp Issuing Country: United States Date of Issue: 6-Mar-2008 Denomination: 41 cents Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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