Palomar Observatory to give tour of giant Hale Telescope

By: JESSICA MUSICAR - For the North County Times | Sunday, June 19, 2005 9:01 PM PDT ∞

PALOMAR MOUNTAIN ---- Members of the public with an eye for the stars will get a chance Saturday to do what few have a chance to do ---- get up close to the Palomar Observatory's 200-inch Hale telescope.

The opportunity will come during the observatory's open house from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The free insiders tour includes a look at the Hale telescope, the observatory's 60-inch telescope and lectures by astronomers. It is designed to interest the public in ongoing research at the observatory and to potentially inspire a new wave of astronomers, said Scott Kardel, the public affairs coordinator for the Palomar Observatory. Several hundred people are expected to attend, he said.

The observatory is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology.

Research carried out at the observatory includes searching for planets that orbit other stars, looking for asteroids that may threaten Earth and looking at large explosions in space. Kardel said the observatory has the capability to see galaxies that are up to 11 billion light years away.

"We are dedicated to learning more about the universe," Kardel said. "Astronomy is fun and it's exciting and it's important on a variety of levels ---- since that is our business it is kind of nice to share what we have learned with people." Kardel said the observatory is open to the public every day, but a glass wall separates them from the 200-inch telescope. For the open house, guests will be able to venture onto the other side of glass, with tours held every 10 minutes.

Tour guides will be on hand to explain how the telescope works and its different uses.

About a mile away, visitors can tour a 60-inch telescope and a portion of an interferometer, a group of telescopes that work together. Kardel said these buildings are normally completely closed to the public.

A shuttle bus will be available to transport people between the 200- and 60-inch telescopes.

Outside of the observatory, guests can meet with Cleveland National Forest rangers who will provide information about the forest. Members of the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department will talk about issues related to fire safety.

In addition to the tours, the public will be able to look through specialized telescopes to view the sun. Kardel said the sun is constantly changing, with solar prominences or hydrogen gas clouds that continually alter in shape and size.

Lectures will also be provided by astronomers such as Richard Ellis, the director of Caltech Optical Observatories, who will present "Exploring the Universe with Giant Telescopes of the Present and Future."

Raymond Bambery, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will present "Hunting Asteroids at Palomar Observatory," and Judy Cohen, of the California Institute of Technology, will present "Globular Clusters Then and Now ---- 30 Years of Research on the Hale Telescope."

Ellis said the open house is a good occasion to explain to the public what astronomers do and what research is done at the observatory. He said his talk will focus on a project involving a 30-meter telescope, which will be six times larger than the Hale Telescope.

"We are very enthusiastic about our subject and want to share it (with the public)," Ellis said.

The open house will also introduce the newly-formed Friends of the Palomar Observatory to encourage membership. The Friends will be able to get more behind-the-scenes experience at the observatory with specialized tours and lectures.

Dr. Andrew Pickles, the associate director of operations at Cal Tech Optical Observatories, said the public will get behind some of the doors that the observatory's 100,000-plus visitors a year normally don't get behind.

"We encourage people to come, we are very proud of the research work going on," Pickles said. "They can come and enjoy a working observatory in their own neighborhood."

For more information about the event, call (760) 742-2111 or visit www.friendsofpalomarobservatory.org.

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