Triumph of the telescope

steve smyth — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:24:11 GMT

Is he the Hale-Bopp guy?
No matter how hard we may try, there is no way the feeling shared by those who came out to see the mirror hauling train can ever exist again.
Todays Folks need something newer and more exciting than mirrors on trains.
Maybe if the mirror was actually a laser weapon, aimed upwards, picking off bad satellites as the train makes it's way West...then it's launched into orbital kill mode.
"It happened that way...movin' West."...tag line from some 50's TV Western...good line, eh?
DRAT!!!

Triumph of the telescope

Eric, Salinas, CA — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:07:40 GMT

Great article Alan. The telescope is one of the greatest inventions of all time, even if Galileo stole it from others and claimed the invention as his own. It has been instrumental in proving the wrongness of christian dogma that the world is the center of the solar system and universe.

Hale certainly did a great job getting bigger telescopes built that have allowed us to see the true majesty of the sky above. Hubble certainly is the best telescope ever built and I can't wait for the next generation large space telescope that will be launched in the future.

I can't wait for Obama to bring real science back to the White House and our country. Maybe then we'll see our science again regain it's prominence in the world instead of lagging behind so many countries. I was rather dismayed that the Chinese have built a spiffy new muti fiber telescope capable of mapping our own galaxy in 3D.

Triumph of the telescope

Dave Fuller, Peotone IL — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:57:32 GMT

What a great story! Unfortunately, many citizens today in the United States don't even see the stars at night, due to light pollution. And the science these telescopes that Hale helped get built are threatened more and more by this encroachment of light.

(And to answer steve smyth, no, this Hale is not the Hale-Bopp guy. That is Alan Hale.)

Maybe with the economy faltering, people will find that they can save money by using appropriate lighting at night. And we'll all see more stars as a result. So will those wonderful big telescopes...

Triumph of the telescope

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:49:14 GMT

I saw that show. George Hale was a real pioneer. I never realized the blood, sweat and tears that went into the evolution of Palomar beginning in the early 20th century with the Mt. Wilson observatory. It's that spirit that keeps mediocrity under the rug and true progress alive. They were absolutley correct in making a parallel between that spirit and the spirit of landing on the moon during the '60's.

There isn't an older astronomer or space scientist or astronaut alive today that didn't get there first ideas about the cosmos as kids through pitures from Mt. Wilson and Palomar.

Triumph of the telescope

Val Gerber — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:04:21 GMT

What a fantastic time it would have been to witness those events. However, let's not forget that there have been many moments that surpass even the feeling of those who witnessed the mirror hauling train. I remember in the early 90's watching a space shuttle take off with thousands of others in awe. I have been rivited by the stunning pictures sent back from Mars, Saturn, Venus and other planets. I wanted to be there at the first launch at the New Mexico Space Port and you can bet we'll all be rivited to our TV sets when we next land on the moon. Many people, including me, still have a sense of wonder and discovery.