A Tour of Mt. Wilson, California (Including the 100
Inch Telescope, CHARA, and Mt.Harvard)
Photos and Descriptions by Marvin Collins
(Posted by Steve Blodgett)
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Description
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Mt. Wilson 100 inch telescope drive fine gear.
Adaptive optical system (right).
Coarse drive gear and another adaptive optical system.
Electrical panel for dome rotation control (right).
1 of 2 dome rotation motors
Fine & gross drive gears (right)
This gravity drive motor governor is no longer
in use, and has been replaced by a stepper motor.
Dome Wheels (right)
One of several electrical panels
Another view of the governor (right) that is no longer
in use, but is still of historical interest.
Gravity power tracking motor system, no longer
in use. This system has been replaced by a stepper
motor. Astronomer Nils Turner is standing close to
the pit into which the weights for the system were
lowered by gravity to provide energy to track the
telescope.
Main electrical panel (right) which still uses DC current
for control.
Film camera adapter
Original control desk (right), no longer used.
A view from the dome of the 100 inch Mt. Wilson
telescope showing 2 of the 6 CHARA telescope
domes.
The vertical box (right) near the center of the
picture is the original box in which the 100 inch
mirror was transported to Mt. Wilson via the front
side of the mountain in 1917.
A view of the Mt. Wilson antenna farm looking
West as seen from the upper level of the 100 inch
telescope dome.
Stepper motor (right) that now drives the telescope
tracking.
A view looking South from the dome of the 100 inch
telescope. The Sun tower can be seen extending
above the trees.
Worm gear (right) that is driven by the stepper motor
to cause the telescope to track the target.
Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy,
(CHARA) long room where light beams from 6
telescope array are brought into alignment to form a
single image.
The Long Room (right) , partially finished, during
construction in the CHARA building.
A closer view of the unfinished sled tracks in the
CHARA long room.
Another view (right) of the long room.
"Optical sleds" set up for testing in the Long Room.
The ribbon cables that connect the sleds to the control
computer can be seen leading away from the sled
Another view (right) of the CHARA long room.
A closer view of two of the sleds that are installed and
undergoing tests.
The short room (right) part of the L shaped CHARA
building, where the optical beams from the long room
are reflected and analyzed on these large stable
equipment tables. At the time of the photo equipment
had not yet been installed on the tables.
Another view of the long CHARA room.
Looking up (right) at the inside of one of the CHARA
telescope domes.
Outside view of a CHARA dome as being inspected
by SCFCC members on 9/15/99.
The Old 100 inch Mt. Wilson Telescope (right)
Members of the SCFCC touring the Mt. Wilson 100
inch telescope on 9/15/99.
Another view (right) of the 100 inch Mt. Wilson
telescope.
The Adaptive Optics attachment to the Mt. Wilson
100 inch telescope.
Dr. Robert Jastrow (right) conducting the SCFCC
tour on 9/15/99.
The control panel for the 100 inch Mt. Wilson
telescope.
The control console (right) of the 100 inch Mt. Wilson
telescope on 9/15/99.
Looking toward the Mt. Wilson Observatory from
Mt. Harvard.
The KUSC antenna on Mt. Harvard (right)
Updated views of the inside of the CHARA building
on Mt. Wilson.
Two image detectors for two of the CHARA
telescopes, labeled E and F.
