Mount Wilson Observatory

The research facility sits at an elevation of 1,742 meters in the San Gabriel Mountains, featuring multiple solar telescopes and reflector instruments.

George Ellery Hale established the observatory in 1904 with Carnegie Institution funding, starting as a solar observation station for Yerkes Observatory.

Edwin Hubble made fundamental discoveries about galaxy distances and universal expansion using the observatory's 100-inch Hooker telescope in the 1920s.

The facility maintains regular public visiting hours during spring and summer, offering telescope viewings, guided tours, concerts, and educational programs.

The CHARA interferometer array consists of six telescopes that work together to measure stellar diameters with extreme precision.

Location: Los Angeles County

Inception: 1904

Elevation above the sea: 1,742 m

Website: https://mtwilson.edu

GPS coordinates: 34.22503,-118.05719

Latest update: May 26, 2025 20:59