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Birthplace of Adaptive Optics by Timothy Thompson SUMMER QUARTER / JULY 2021 Mount Wilson: Birthplace of Adaptive Optics By Timothy Thompson Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. sisters Ann and Jane Taylor wonder what that star really is. GoodIn the question. first verse Astronomers of their famous have 1806 been poem, trying “The to answer Star,” poet that question in earnest since the dawn of the 20th century, when - Mount Wilson founder, physicist and astronomer George Ellery Hale took up the challenge. He forced the new science of astro physics out of the shadows and into the daylight, for that very purpose. To find out what the stars are. - But there’s a problem. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star”, might work causedfor poets, by butturbulent “steady, air. steady, little star”, while lacking roman tic flare, would be a lot better for astronomers. The twinkle is Simulations of what a star field will look like with Unfortunately the atmosphere above always has some level of the future Giant Magellan Telescope without adap- tive optics (top) and with adaptive optics (bottom). turbulence, which creates pockets of air of different densities. The time scale for the twinkling comes from the combination smallerof the sizes pockets & speeds moving of the slower. variable The densityroot physical pockets cause of air. is that Larger pockets moving fast have pretty much the same effect as In this issue... Thanks to our Supporters.....7 as light moves from an air pocket of one density, into another air pocket of another density, the light is refracted.seeing In essence, Adaptive Optics.......1 Observatory Visiting Map....8 arethe twinklingair pockets madly, act just then like the lenses seeing floating is bad. in The the less atmosphere. the stars In twinkle,the jargon the of better astronomy, the seeing. this effect is called . If the stars Director’sNews & Notes..........2 Letter.......3 Continues on Page 4 Mount Wilson Observatory Status As of Tuesday, June 15th, like much of California, the Observatory grounds will be open! The Cosmic Cafe will also reopen during the first weekend: June 19 and 20. Docent tours will resume soon. Please check our website, mtwilson. edu, for more announcements and information about Telescope Rentals, Lec- tures, Concerts and other activities on the mountain. ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT US NEWS & NOTES The Mount Wilson Institute Mount Wilson Observatory Has Reopened! operates Mount Wilson Observatory on behalf of the Carnegie Institution and volunteers have been working hard to get all the events up and running. for Science. Mount Wilson As of June 15th the Observatory grounds are finally open to the public. The staff Institute is dedicated to preserving the Observatory for scientific research Telescope Reservations for groups have begun. Public Ticket Nights are also ready and fostering public for individual ticket purchases for up to 4 people. Detailed information about these appreciation of the historic can be found on the website. - cultural heritage of the Observatory. Reflections is Concerts in the 100-inch Telescope Dome are planned for August 1st and Septem published periodically by ber 5th. Lecture dates are August 28th, September 25th and October 16th. As soon the Mount Wilson Institute. as the programs are finalized, tickets will become available on the website. These INFORMATION generally sell out quickly so check back often. - ments please visit our website: www.mtwilson.edu For information about the To find the most current information on all these activities and other announce Observatory, including status, activities, tours, NOTE: The Observatory Grounds Open at 10:00 AM and Close at and reserving 60-inch and 5:00 PM! 100-inch telescope time, visit our website: - www.mtwilson.edu The Cosmic Café is open every weekend. Come enjoy a snack or lunch in the Pavil Reflections is dedicated Ocean! to the memory of Marilyn ion overlooking the San Gabriel Valley and on a clear day all the way to the Pacific Morgan, the longtime, Discovering Mount Wilson volunteer editor and designer of this newsletter. Don’t miss this special series For the use of historical - photographs of Mount - Wilson, we thank the pledescribing who made the themhistory right of the here dis Observatories of the oncoveries Mount and Wilson! the amazing Articles peo will Carnegie Institution for be arriving weekly throughout Science, the Huntington the summer in your inbox or Library, and other sources as noted. Reflections copyright © 2021, Mount Wilson they can be found posted on our Institute website. Then join us for “Sundays with Tim” - Zoom gatherings to hear even more at 5:00 PM on the last Sunday of each month. PAGE ONE BANNER Supporting Mount Wilson PHOTOGRAPH (Inset) Astronomer Edwin This past year, with very little revenue coming in due to the pandemic and a major Hubble at the Newtonian focus of the 100-inch position to support science, education, and this remarkable historic site, it would telescope on Mount forest fire, we have relied on our many kind donors more than ever. If you are in a Wilson, circa 1923. mtwilson.edu Observatory through donations and memberships. be especially welcome. Visit for information on how to support the 2 REFLECTIONS JUNE 2021 A LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TOM MENEGHINI MOUNT WILSON INSTITUTE Dear Mount Wilson Supporters, Like many areas on the fringes of the Observatory property close to the Bobcat Fire, the Monastery narrowly escaped As we track the ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions and - the inferno. We survived the fire with the assistance of our guidelines, the Observatory is carefully emerging from more- mountain staff and an overwhelming response by Cal Fire than a year of closure. We recently welcomed our first stu and the Forest Service in fielding an army of firefighters on dent STEM group for two days of science instruction, includ the mountain. As we reopen we are redoubling our efforts ing a night of observing on the historic 60-inch telescope. to keep the Observatory safe from future and likely more andWe were historic excited telescope, to finally the seeone young used topeople measure again, and enjoying map our Mountainfrequent, fires. were Due as dry to thein May lowest as they precipitation normally inthis history is shap - the experience of observing celestial wonders with a large this winter (under 12 inches), the forests of the San Gabriel back the general public. galaxy for the first time. And now we gearing up to welcome ing up to be a very bad fire year. - During the pandemic and Bobcat Fire, the Observatory has Our next step will be to reopen the Cosmic Café which serves been sustained financially by donations from a few large toursfood and will drink be going to Observatory on some limited visitors basis and soon, is the but point we needof de benefactors, but mostly from the general public and our toparture make forsure most they of comply our public with and health private guidelines tours. Weand hope may thebe own people. The programs we offer would not be possible without the many unselfish volunteers who staff our events.- - I am confident that we can soon re-engage all those who - scoperestricted dome in willsize probablyfor a number not be of possiblemonths. Likewiseanytime soon. telescope As share our love for this beautiful world class science and his sessions. Science lectures and concerts in the 100-inch Tele- andtoric then site. theMount Universe Wilson beyond. is after all the place where human ity finally discovered the true scale of our Milky Way Galaxy www.mtwilson.edu the Observatory reopens in stages, we will post the informa tion at the top of our website: - beingWe look on forward this special to welcoming mountain, youday allor backnight. soon! Bring friends and family and share the amazing experience of The long hiatus in most of our public activities, since Decem Tom Meneghini ber 2019, has been used well (although obviously we would- tieshave that rather we beenhave beenopen). too It hasbusy been to tackle when in we normal could years.focus on many of the restoration jobs and improvements to our facili Executive Director, Mount Wilson Institute - Our maintenance staff and a volunteer have finished the com plete repainting of the metal components of the Snow Solar Telescope (see photo opposite). Stripping the iron and steel of three or four layers of old paint and rust was not easy, but our crew now has a rock hard layer of enamel paint on it that will keep this historic telescope looking new for years. We thank- the Ludwick Family Foundation and the Norris Foundation for funding the preservation of this famous scientific instru Alongment and with major countless component smaller of projects, our STEM we program. have repainted a bedrooms, hallway, and stairway once again look as good as large section of the Monastery’s dorm rooms. The restored The newly restored Snow Solar Telescope, the first large telescope Hale installed on the mountain (in 1904), was ready for our first “post-pandemic” STEM group. The they did when many of the most famous astronomers of the building so students view a detailed solar spectrum. The This historic building will continue to house students, tele- coelostat’s flat mirrors send sunlight into the telescope 20th century made it their temporary home on the mountain. evidence that sunspots are relatively cool regions on the spectral lines seen with this instrument provided the first scope observers, and other guests for many years in the same style as Edwin Hubble. surface of our star. 3 REFLECTIONS JUNE 2021 Adaptive Optics - from page 1 which causes all that twinkling, astronomers had no choice butAlas, to condemned put up with to it lifethe at best the they bottom could.
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