Hale telescope
Created: January, 1949 (First Light)
Creator: George Ellery Hale Location: Palomar Observatory, California Stats: Primary Mirror: 5.1 m (diameter) Light Collecting Area: 20 m squared Light Gathering Power: 1,040,400x human eye Focal Length: 16.8 m Focal Ratio: f/3.3 Wavelength: Optical Type: Reflector |
History:
The Hale telescope was built between 1936 and 1948 where it saw its first light a year later. This first light was guided by Edwin Hubble, who used the telescope to target Hubble's Variable Nebula. Though it was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, it was named George Ellery Hale as he planned, designed, and helped construct the observatory. During its creation, the Hale telescope was seen as a astronomical landmark as not only was it the largest telescope of its time, but it had double the diameter of the previous largest telescope. It was also seen as a landmark due to using new technologies such as vapor deposited aluminum and thermal expansion glass. The Hale telescope remained the world's largest telescope for 45 years (until 1993) where it was surpassed by Keck I. George Willis Ritchey, who co-created the Ritchey-Chretien telescope design was supposed to be the telescope's chief optical designer. However, due to budget constraints, this design was not implemented and a parabolic primary mirror was used instead. The Hale telescope sits on a yoke, equatorial mount, to allow the telescope to see the entirety of the sky. One of Hale telescope's achievements was that it was used to directly image an exoplanet, something that had previously been significantly difficult to do. The Hale Telescope is still in use today, where it is used nightly for a wide array of observations. |