Mount Wilson Observatory

An astronomical observatory in California’s San Gabriel Mountains, founded in 1904 and known for pioneering research with its 60-inch and 100-inch telescopes.

Hooker Telescope: A 100-inch reflecting telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory, completed in 1917 and used for landmark studies of galaxies. Edwin Hubble used this telescope to measure distances to galaxies beyond the Milky Way.
Reflecting Telescope: A telescope that collects and focuses light with mirrors. Both landmark Mount Wilson instruments used mirrors to gather more light than contemporary refractors.
Edwin Hubble: An American astronomer whose observations established that galaxies exist beyond the Milky Way and that the universe expands. His work with the Hooker Telescope transformed Mount Wilson into a center of cosmology.
Yerkes Observatory: An astronomical observatory in Wisconsin, home to the world’s largest refracting telescope. Hale’s experience at Yerkes helped shape his plans for Mount Wilson.
Mount Wilson 60-inch Telescope: A reflecting telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory that began operating in 1908. Its early observations helped establish the observatory’s reputation for powerful stellar research.
Spectroscopy: The study of how matter emits, absorbs, or scatters electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths. Spectral measurements at Mount Wilson revealed stellar motions and physical properties.
Milton Humason: An American astronomer whose photographic and spectroscopic observations helped measure galaxy distances and velocities. His observations with Hubble supplied crucial evidence for the distance–velocity relation.
Carnegie Institution for Science: A private U.S. research organization founded in 1902 to support scientific discovery. Its funding enabled Hale to establish Mount Wilson Observatory.
Hubble's Law: The empirical relationship between a galaxy’s distance and its recession velocity. Mount Wilson observations helped establish that the universe is expanding.
Radial Velocity: An object's velocity along the line of sight, measured through wavelength shifts in its spectrum. Astronomers used spectral shifts to measure how stars and galaxies moved toward or away from Earth.

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