The Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO) is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a 5,715-foot (1,742 m) peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles. The observatory contains two historically important telescopes: the 60 inches (1.5 m) Hale telescope built in 1908, and the 100 inches (2.5 m) Hooker telescope, which was the largest telescope in the world from its completion in 1917 until 1948.
Due to the inversion layer that traps smog over Los Angeles, Mount Wilson has naturally steadier air than any other location in North America, making it ideal for astronomy and in particular for interferometry. The increasing light pollution due to the growth of greater Los Angeles has limited the ability of the observatory to engage in deep space astronomy, but it remains a productive center, with many new and old instruments in use for astronomical research.
The observatory was conceived and founded by George Ellery Hale, who had built the 40 inches (1.0 m) telescope at the Yerkes Observatory. The Mount Wilson Solar Observatory was first funded by the Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1904, leasing the land from the owners of the Mount Wilson Hotel in 1904. Among the conditions of the lease was that it allow public access.
Read more about Mount Wilson Observatory: 60 Inch (1.5 M) Telescope, 100 Inch (2.5 M) Hooker Telescope, Solar Telescopes, Interferometry, Other Telescopes, History
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