Mount Wilson Observatory

Explore Alliance Presents - Global Star Party XXVI Welcome to the the 26th Global Star Party with David Levy and David J. Eicher. Door prizes are supplied from our door prize partners, and the Astronomical League who is the Official Door Prize Sponsor of the Global Star Party. The event is free and you can watch it here or at:... http://www.explorescientific.com/live #globalstarparty #vbas #explorealliance #starparty #astronomy #astrophotography

Dear Friends, Family, and Colleagues, Watcher of the Sky, a string quartet commissioned by the Mount Wilson Institute in celebration of the 2018 sesquicentennial of the birth of astronomer George Ellery Hale has been released on an album recorded by the Sirius Quartet. ... We have created a YouTube video commemorating the life of George Ellery Hale to accompany the recording. The YouTube video may be found: https://mailchi.mp/66d2ed70b942/new-album-and-youtube-video

A tour of Lick Observatory, which is both our physical and historical neighbor.

Despite more than a day of rain and snow, vestiges of the Bobcat Fire are still living inside of trees and underground. (Photos by David Cendejas)

First snow of the season; not much, but measurable. (Photos by David Cendejas)

Following Jupiter and Saturn to the horizon just after sunset in anticipation of the Dec. 21 conjuction .

Lenticular Clouds over San Gabriel Mountains - Flying saucers in the sky.

Mt. Wilson Superintendent David Cendejas will be presenting "Mt. Wilson vs The Bobcat", a first-hand account of firefighters' efforts to save the Observatory. This will be a Zoom presentation for the Pasadena Senior Center, Monday, Nov. 16 at 2:00 PM

Explore Alliance Presents: The OpenGOTO Community Live - Episode 113 Scott Roberts is joined by Tyler Bowman who will cover the forums and the Explore Scientific Astrophotography Contest, and Jerry Hubbell will cover his next segment of the MENTOR program. *Photo Contest Updates... *Dr. Alan Stern on Tomorrow's "Explore Now" *Global Star Parties *More MENTOR Training Watch us at: http://www.explorescientific.com/live

Excerpt from mountain logbook: "Efforts to instill fear of humans in bear unsuccessful so far." Fish and Wildlife advise us to maintain the status quo, but now he's showing up for work. Airhorns and the like have no effect.

Apple Cider, our refugee juvenile California Black Bear, is boldly out for a stroll in the afternoon. We are seeking resources to relocate him/her before cold winter weather sets in. (Photos by Blake Estes)

The HPWREN cameras are back!

Mars imaged through the 60" telescope this morning. (Image capture and processing - Blake Estes; telescope operation - Tom Meneghini). Added montage of red, green, blue and infrared subsets that were combined for the final image. Approximately 10,000 frames were captured for each color.

With all of the surrounding devastation in the forest, the Observatory is becoming something of refuge for the displaced, including our most recent ursid addition, "Apple Cider".

An explanation: The Observatory will not be accessible from the Sturtevant Trail, Rim Trail, Mt. Wilson Trail/Mt. Wilson Toll Road until the spring of 2022 unless this order is amended or rescinded.

We still have hot spots from the Bobcat Fire embedded in the deep drainage canyons around Mt. Wilson. The US Forest Service keeps a hotshot crew at the observatory overnight to stand watch. In the daytime we have active helicopter water drops on areas that flare up. (Photo by Stuart Landau - KPFK)

A virtual open house this year in place of the lawn event in Pasadena. We miss being there and assisting with our solar telescope to augment their wonderful educational projects and public outreach.

Although Angeles Crest Hwy will be open, Mt. Wilson Rd. will be restricted to residents, employees and contractors. Public access to the observatory will not be possible until further notice.