F0r the last several months I have been cast in to a role that is more involved with the nightly operation of the telescope (that's why the number of blog posts have dropped dramatically) and today I had my first opportunity to shovel snow off of the top of the dome. I was able to bring a camera with me and can share some pics of from the experience.
The basic problem is this. If you open the dome with snow on the top, snow will fall in on the telescope and instrumentation. So a small crew, each secured with a safety harness, is sent up to remove the snow from the dome slit.
Here is a view of the top of the dome before any work was begun:
Here is a view of the work as it was nearing completion:
Here I am on top of the world:
Joining me on this quest was Greg:
Trust me, 135-feet would be a long way to fall, so having the safety harness secured is very important.
It is important to tune out the view, because it is so amazing, but I did manage to snap a few quick shots:
Finally, check out this short video that I took of the view:
At Palomar Observatory every day is an adventure.
3 comments:
Bravo. Now everyone can see the bravery involved in astronomy.
Hey Scott, welcome to the TOP OF THE WORLD CLUB.
Drew
Thanks, Drew!
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