Nicole Daskas Blog Post #3

History of Mount Wilson
Nicole Daskas
Mount Wilson observatory was founded in 1904 by George Ellery Hale. In order to further his studies of the Sun, Hale moved the Snow Solar telescope from Southern Wisconsin to Mount Wilson. The observatory was first focused on studying the sun, and was called the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory up until 1919, when the largest telescope was brought in to photograph stars. The 100-inch changed not only the name of the observatory, but also the way the universe was understood. Hubble used this telescope to discover that the universe is expanding and would lay the foundation for the Big Bang model. It was the first ever telescope with the ability to see past the Milky Way. Hale founded the field of astrophysics, and “sought to understand the physical processes that took place in the Sun and other more distant stars” (Wilson Observatory). 
Mount Wilson helped lay the foundation of astrophysics. As technology continued to develop, the capacity of the 100-inch also advanced. The “20-foot interferometer… measured diameters of stars and precise distances between binary stars” and was placed atop the 100-inch (PBS). In the 1950s, Seth Nicholson and Edison Pettit developed infrared astronomy, and the 100-inch became the first instrument with the ability to view infrared. This “allowed astronomers to reveal the hidden inner workings of stars and planets” (PBS). Despite all the technological and scientific advancements brought about by Mount Wilson, the observatory did not allow women. What started as “an oversight caused by a lack of women observational astronomers” morphed into blatant discrimination (Carleton). Women held essential positions as computers, but were not permitted to look through the telescope. As women applied for fellowships and telescope time, they were repeatedly denied through the 50s and early 60s. One woman, Margaret Burbridge, applied and was denied. She eventually did get telescope time, but only because her husband accepted a fellowship and brought her along with him. The first woman to use the telescope legally was Vera Rubin, but not until 1963 (Carleton). She was invited to apply, but the form she was given had this sentence written across the top: "Due to limited Facilities, it is not possible to accept application from women" (Carleton). The word “usually” was penciled in at the top. 
Unfortunately, the 100-inch is not immune to the massive light pollution from Los Angeles. After new, larger telescopes in darker areas of the world began being built, the 100-inch fell out of favor for awhile. In 2014, however, the 100-inch was turned into an observatory. It is now “a historic relic [that] allows people to view the cosmos as world-class astronomers once did” (PBS). The observatory is also used in the promotion of STEM programs. It also took photos of Jupiter during the Juno mission. The 100-inch will celebrate its 100th birthday on November 1st. 
The 100-inch telescope
Spiral galaxies were first discovered by Edwin Hubble
Edwin Hubble



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