This is a model of the telescope. The part that is going vertical (up and down) is the actual telescope. The part going more vertical is the mechanism needed to turn in within the observatory. The whole apparatus weighs some 55 tons and was put together on site though parts were shipped from all over the US to here. This is a reflective telescope meaning light is let into it and reflects off a concave mirror that focuses it on a focus point and that is where you "see" the image. At one point it was the biggest telescope in the world. It still gives more detailed views of the stars than the Hubble Telescope out in space. In the diagram the mirror is at the bottom of the vertical apparatus and the focus point is at the top.
The mirror is in the round holder in the picture below. It is 200 inches in diameter and was constructed of the state of the art "glass" in 1938 - Pyrex. Pyrex was a recent invention of the Corning company and was better than regular glass as it didn't change shape much with temperature change, thus allowing for very well focused images. It was cast in NY and shipped by train to California going only 25 miles per hour tops to keep the mirror from cracking. The final polishing of the mirror wasn't done until it was installed here in California. It is coated every 18 to 24 months with a fine layer of aluminum, which is then polished to a perfect reflection.
This is where the focal point is located and where the camera are found. Up in this housing a astronomer sits through the night (sometimes in a flight suit for warmth) adjusting the focus and pointing the telescope where they want it to view the sky. He is up to 135 feet up in the air.
This is a picture of one of our astronomer guides with Topher and Hannah. All in all this was a fun little day trip.
jfla
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