Eye the skies, and the origins of the universe, from famed Mt. Wilson Observatory
Why: This isn't just an access road, it's a zigging, zagging path to a galaxy far, far away. On the way up, your belly begins to bark. Kidneys become spleens. You’re driving to Mt. Wilson, a top-of-the-world observatory that once revealed several significant secrets of the universe.
What: Mt. Wilson Observatory, 90 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, belongs in the astronomers’ hall of fame.
It is where Harlow Shapley discovered that we’re not in the center of the Milky Way; actually, far from it. It’s where Edward Hubble and others confirmed that the universe is expanding, key evidence in support of the Big Bang theory.
The sprawling complex is located in what was once cowboy country. Thieves once stashed stolen horses in the surrounding caves and canyons. In the mid-1800s, Benjamin Wilson, a rancher from the flatlands, went searching for timber for his wine casks, following old Indian trails to the site of Mt. Wilson.
By the late 1800s, those trails were used to set up the observatory. In 1917, astronomers began using the world's largest telescope there. There was even a hotel at one time, the $3-a-night Mt. Wilson Hotel, which closed in the late '60s.
Today, the cluster of vintage telescopes has gone into semi-retirement, used by school and astronomy clubs at group prices that start at $1,000. But various weekend tours, usually at 1 and 2 p.m., take you through the complex and, depending on the itinerary, right up under the 100-inch telescope.
Check out the website for viewing options, including coveted public viewing tickets, with which individuals who are not part of groups can watc h the ever-changing universe.Â
Where: Above La Cañada Flintridge in L.A. County, 32 miles northeast of downtown L.A., about a 40-minute drive off the 210 Freeway (Angeles Crest exit).
How much: Docent tours are $15. To wander on your own is free.
Info: Tickets and visitor tipsÂ
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