Mount Palomar Observatory

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Who did George Hale buy the land from for the building of the 200 inch telescope? All from private land owners The land was donated by Hale himself The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) U.S. Forest Service & some local ranchers

2. Mt. Palomar Observatory was built 5,600 feet above sea level because it was the only land available. True False

3. What company manufactured the 200 inch lens? Newport Glass Works British Optical Company D & R Glass Company Corning Glass Works

4. What material is the disk made from? Pyrex Ordinary glass Plexiglass Polymer glass

5. During the summer construction months, only the construction crew was allowed to pour the concrete for the base and foundation of the observatory. True False

6. The size of the completed dome is 137 feet in diameter and 135 feet tall. These dimensions make it similar to the? Coliseum in Rome Greek Parthenon Stonehenge in England Pantheon in Rome

7. The 200 inch glass was transported in 16 days from New York to Pasadena, California by? space shuttle plane train specially designed truck

8. After the disk was delivered to Mt. Palomar, only the installation remained. True False

9. World War II halted the work on the 200 inch disk. True False

10. The dedication ceremony took place on June 3, 1948. It was formally named in honor of George Hale. What were some of the guests allowed to do during the ceremony? Throw pennies onto the mirror Ride on the dome as it rotated They weren't allowed to do anything Climb onto the truss work

11. Who took the first photograph using the 200 inch telescope? Edwin Hubble Harlow Shapley George Hale No photos have ever been taken

12. Is the 200 inch Hale telescope the only telescope at Mt. Palomar? Yes No

13. Is the 200 inch telescope equipped with adaptive optics? Yes No

14. Has the 200 inch mirror ever been re-aluminized? Yes No

15. Is the public allowed to look through the 200 inch telescope? Yes No

16. Did the United States ever issue a postage stamp of the telescope at Mt. Palomar? Yes No

17. Where are the 200 inch Hale telescope operations controlled from? By a console unit, right at the telescope By a hand controlled device at the telescope The scope is no longer used due to light pollution in the area. Inside a control room away from the scope

18. The 200 inch Hale telescope was the largest scope in the world until what country built a 236 inch reflector? China England Japan Russia

19. Who owns and operates the Mt. Palomar observatory? The California Institute of Technology The United States Government The state of California The Rockefeller Foundation

20. What very important project is Mt. Palomar involved with? Searching for Near Earth Objects (NEO's) Sending laser beams to the planets to determine their distance Tracking artificial satellites in Earth's orbit Photographing the under belly of the Space Shuttle, looking for loose tiles