www.mtwilson.edu

100 & 60-inch Telescope Public Ticket "HyperNight" (Jul 10) - CANCELED

07/10/2021 07:45 PM - 07/11/2021 01:00 AM PT

Admission

  • $195.00

Location

Mount WIlson Observatory
Mount Wilson, CA 91023
United States of America

Summary

Mount Wilson's 60-inch & 100-inch Telescopes are normally made available for public viewing through our popular group rental program. To make this remarkable experience more accessible to visitors not associated with a group, we have set aside a night for individuals to observe the stars. But this session is extra special: visitors will get to use BOTH telescopes on the same night--the 2 largest telescopes in the world dedicated exclusively to the public.
This special viewing session is limited to 36 observers divided into two groups and runs from 7:45 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Description

Mount Wilson's 60-inch & 100-inch Telescopes are normally made available for public viewing through our popular group rental program. To make this remarkable experience more accessible to visitors not associated with a group, we have set aside a night for individuals to observe the stars. But this session is extra special: visitors will get to use BOTH telescopes on the same night--the 2 largest telescopes in the world dedicated exclusively to the public.
Create a life-long memory by observing astronomical objects with BOTH the historic Mount Wilson 60-inch and 100-inch Telescopes. The first group, limited to a maximum of 18 people, will observe through the 60-inch telescope, while the second group of 18 (max) observes through the 100-inch telescope. About the midpoint of the session, observers will be escorted to the other dome to continue observing.

 
60-inch Telescope: This historic telescope saw first light in 1908 and set in motion a quest for ever larger reflecting telescopes that continues today. During the WWI years, the American astronomer Harlow Shapley used the telescope to show that the Sun was located well away from the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, thus extending the Copernican Revolution by demonstrating that the Sun has no special place in the Universe.
 
100-inch Telescope: After seeing first light in 1917, the telescope would be the world's largest until 1949 when the Palomar 200-inch came on line. The world-heritage class telescope was famously used by Edwin Hubble during the early 1920's to show that the Universe is vast in size compared with the then prevailing view. Hubble followed up this revolutionary discovery by quantifying the expansion of the Universe, thereby launching modern cosmology. Other than Galileo's first instruments, no other telescope has had a similar impact on human understanding of our place in the Universe.
 
The event includes unequaled observing from around sunset to 1AM with a small group of no more than 18 people per telescope.
 
No children under age 12 permitted
All ticketed minor children must be accompanied by a ticketed responsible adult
No more than four tickets may be purchased by an individual
Purchaser agrees to MWI's terms and conditions and specifically acknowledges having read and accepts the cancellation policy as stated at Terms and Conditions
All tickets are non-refundable except in the case of technical issues that prevent us from operating the telescope on the scheduled evening Maps, FAQs, and other logistical information is located at FAQ's.
 

Please visit our website for more viewing session details at: mtwilson.edu/public-ticket-nights