Hale telescope
The Hale Telescope, located at the Palomar Observatory in northern San Diego County, California, is notable for being one of the largest telescopes in the world, with a 200-inch (5-meter) mirror. The concept for this telescope originated with astronomer George Ellery Hale in 1928, who secured funding to establish a new observatory. The construction of the telescope's mirror utilized Pyrex glass, designed with a waffled back to minimize weight, and was completed after a significant delay caused by World War II. The mirror was finally installed at the observatory in 1947, with operations commencing in 1948, just over two decades after Hale's initial vision.
As a significant scientific achievement, the Hale Telescope symbolized the potential for peaceful scientific exploration in the post-war era and became a point of pride for American scientists. It held the title of the world's largest telescope until 1993, when it was surpassed by the Keck 1 telescope in Hawaii. The Hale Telescope continues to be an important tool in astronomical research, contributing to our understanding of the universe.
Hale telescope
Identification 200-inch telescope erected at Palomar Observatory
Date Dedicated on June 3, 1948
Place San Diego County, California
For nearly three decades after its construction, the Hale telescope was the largest telescope in the world. It remained one of the world’s five largest telescopes until early in the twenty-first century, when several larger telescopes were built. It remains a major research facility.
The idea for a 200-inch (5-meter) telescope originated with George Ellery Hale as early as 1928. Hale secured a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to build a new observatory. The site for the telescope, on Palomar Mountain in northern San Diego County, California, was selected in 1935. The telescope’s mirror used Pyrex glass with a waffled back to reduce weight. Upon completion, the mirror blank was shipped across the country from New York’s Corning Glass Works to a mirror laboratory in Pasadena, California, where it was to be ground into the proper shape for use in the new telescope. Long before it was finished, however, the nation was plunged into World War II. Work on the mirror stopped and did not resume until 1945. In 1947, the mirror was moved to the Palomar Observatory, where it was installed in the telescope. The telescope was named for its creator, who had died in 1938. Operations at the observatory began in 1948, nearly two decades after the telescope was conceived.
Impact
As the world’s largest telescope, the Hale telescope was a source of pride for American scientists. It was also seen by many as an important symbol for the peaceful uses of science following the weapons developed during World War II. The telescope remained the largest effective telescope in the world until 1993, when it was surpassed in size and resolving power by the Keck 1 telescope in Hawaii.
Bibliography
Florence, Ronald. The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar Telescope. New York: HarperCollins, 1994.
Mason, Todd, and Robin Mason. “Palomar’s Big Eye.” Sky and Telescope (December, 2008): 36-41.
Osterbrock, Donald E. Pauper and Prince: Ritchey, Hale, and Big American Telescopes. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1993.