Mountain Medical Aid

We would like to thank the members of the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department and other rescue workers who responded to a medical aid call at the Observatory yesterday.

Not being able to help, at least I was able to capture some pictures of firetrucks with the dome of the Hale Telescope.




Mercy Air was called in to get the patient to the hospital quickly, that gave me a chance to catch the helicopter, Hale Telescope dome and a halo around the sun all in one shot.


We certainly hope for a speedy recovery for the patient and are glad to have such fine help close at hand.

The Long and Winding Road

South Grade Road, seen above from the air in this vintage shot, is the road that was made to bring the 200-inch mirror up to Palomar Observatory. It's many turns make it a favorite choice for people who would unfortunately prefer to race up and down the mountain. This has unfortunately led to a number of deadly head-on collisions.

In an effort to improve safety on the road the County of San Diego will soon be installing center line rumble strips. This will hopefully prevent people from crossing over into oncoming traffic.

The rumble strips will be installed November 30 - December 14. There will be traffic delays, possibly as long as 30 minutes during these dates between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. So if you are planning a trip to Palomar, you might want to build some extra time into your schedule.

Thanks to the San Diego County and Chief Lucia of the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department for helping to make this happen.

This is the Way We . . . . .

This is the way we wash our dome.

It is possible that, until today, the dome of the Hale Telescope has never been washed except by rain. We decided that it was time to change that. The dome is 135-feet high, making it a rather big job to wash the dome. A guy on a ladder with a garden hose pressure washer just isn't going to get it done.

Thankfully, the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department was able to come to our rescue.

The PMVFD, armed with a ladder truck and fire hose, was easily up to the task.

Seeing the crew in action spraying water onto the dome was a very impressive sight.

When it is time to wash different areas of the dome, you simply turn the 1000-ton dome past the firetruck.

The washing produced quite an impressive spray which led to some interesting photo opportunities.

It is pretty nice to be able to create your own rainbows and have a firetruck and a telescope dome at either end.

They have a pretty powerful pump in the ladder truck and it certainly could shoot water very high into the air. Alas, it wasn't quite able to knock that jet out of the sky. ;)


Thanks to George, Cliff, Greg (on the ladder) and the entire PMVFD for their assistance today.

Forest, Fire & Fun

This week the Cleveland National Forest raised their fire restriction level to Extreme. The forest on Palomar is very dry, so be careful out there.

Distant fires, like the 144,000 acre Station Fire, have taken their toll not only on the lands they have burned and the observatories threatened (By the way, things are still looking up for Mt. Wilson) in the San Gabriel Mountains, but they have been hitting Palomar Observatory from afar. Drifting smoke and falling ash have kept our domes closed for a week now.

You can help combat fires by eating and having fun (no, really) at the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department's annual fund-raising barbecue which is tomorrow. Details are below:

Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department Barbecue

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 5 as the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department will be holding its annual fund-raising barbecue. Details are on the flyer below:


Of course if you are looking for astronomical fun don't forget that the Julian Starfest begins tonight and runs through through Sunday.

Be Careful Out There

The heat of a warm day, contrasted with the cool air inside the dome and our altitude (5,500 feet above sea level) can really hit some people hard. In just the last week we have had 2 people attending tours at the observatory that have needed medical attention.

If you are planning on heading up for a tour, please make sure that you have had a meal and water before your visit and that you are easily able to handle an hour's worth of walking and standing.

We are glad to have the members of the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department close at hand, but prefer not having to call them over.

Mountain Rescue

The observatory has a helipad in front of the Palomar Testbed Interferometer. From time to time I am asked if our astronomers fly to Palomar via helicopter to come and use the big telescope.

Alas, the astronomers arrive here by car just like the rest of us. The helipad serves as a landing site in emergencies. Our remote location puts us an hour or two away from a hospital by ambulance. A helicopter can cover that distance in just a few minutes.

The Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Departments and law enforcement officials were called into action this morning to rescue someone who had become trapped in the back country last night during a snow storm.


As far as I know everything turned out just fine.


Once again let me remind visitors that our winter weather can be lots of fun, but there are dangers associated with cold and ice. Be careful out there!