Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory, located atop Palomar Mountain in north San Diego County, is a center of astronomical research owned and operated by Caltech. Palomar is most directly the vision of George Ellery Hale, who played a central role in developing the California Institute of Technology into a leading research university. Hale and a dedicated group of astronomers, engineers, technicians and builders secured funding in 1928, designed the telescopes and site, and created the Observatory much as it exists today. The Observatory is home to three active research telescopes. The 200-inch Hale Telescope, the largest effective telescope in the world until 1993, was dedicated in 1948. The 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope is one of the most productive survey telescopes ever built. The 60-inch telescope, dedicated in 1970, was built to take some of the demand off the Hale Telescope.
Palomar Mountain, San Diego County
Photographer: Jeanne Roberts