Our tour group of about 30 people stands on the chilly (40°F) observing floor looking at the telescope mount (which is in its daytime “rest” position, pointed straight up. to minimize mechanical stress on the mirror). The inside of the telescope building is kept at nighttime temperature all day long, so that observing time is not wasted waiting for the mirror’s shape to stabilize in response to temperature changes — a problem with the Hale’s predecessor, the 100-inch telescope at Mount Wilson.
Our tour group of about 30 people stands on the chilly (40°F) observing floor looking at the telescope mount (which is in its daytime “rest” position, pointed straight up. to minimize mechanical stress on the mirror). The inside of the telescope building is kept at nighttime temperature all day long, so that observing time is not wasted waiting for the mirror’s shape to stabilize in response to temperature changes — a problem with the Hale’s predecessor, the 100-inch telescope at Mount Wilson.
