The History of Palomar & Meteorites...
How could we miss Temecula Valley Historical Society's presentation with the title “The History of the Palomar Telescope and Things That Fall From the Sky”?
The presenter was Dale Garcia, owner of Old Town Temecula Candlelight Walking Tours and a self-confessed devoted meteorite hunter. While waiting for the lighting to be just right, for his show, Mr. Garcia shared a bit about his life-long interest in space and space exploration.
In addition, he gifted everyone in the audience (80+ attendees) a meteorite of their own. Wow!
In an article in the April 1928 issue of Harper's Magazine, Hale set forth the case for the building of what was to become the 200-inch Palomar reflector. The purpose of this article was to inform the American public about his proposal to construct the largest telescope in the world to answer questions relating to the fundamental nature of the universe. Hale hoped that the American people would understand and support his project. Sadly, George Ellery Hale died in 1938 and did not live to see the completion of his last and biggest telescope. In June 1948, the 200-inch reflector was dedicated to his memory.
Russell W. Porter was primarily responsible for the striking Art Deco architecture of the Observatory's buildings, most notably the dome of the 200-inch Hale telescope. Porter was also responsible for much of the technical design of the telescope, producing a series of remarkable cross-section engineering drawings that are considered among the finest examples of such work. Porter worked on the designs in collaboration with many engineers and Caltech committee members. The iconic, gleaming white building on Palomar Mountain that houses the 200-inch Hale telescope is considered by many to be "The Cathedral of Astronomy."
And here is a wonderful video sharing the history of this amazing treasure.
The setting, a summer night under the stars in the historic Vail Ranch HQ, could not have been more perfect. Learning local history and connecting with friends was truly out-of-this-world!
“Like buried treasures,
the outposts of the universe have beckoned
to the adventurous from immemorial times...”
-George Ellery Hale
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