Observatory Closed

Winter weather conditions will keep Palomar Observatory closed to the public today through this weekend.

Observatory Closed

Yup, we got dumped on with snow last weekend and are currently closed to the public.

Major Winter Storm Headed Toward Palomar

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for Palomar Mountain from 4:00 a.m. Saturday morning until 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning. As such Palomar Observatory will be closed for at least this weekend.

Anyone considering travel to the mountains of southern California this weekend should carefully consider (or maybe reconsider) their plans. From the winter storm warning:

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS.
ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. SNOW...BLOWING SNOW...AND DENSE FOG
WILL CAUSE LOCAL VISIBILITY NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. TRAVELERS
THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HAZARDOUS WINTER
WEATHER CONDITIONS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO CHECK THE LATEST ROAD
REPORTS BEFORE DEPARTING. ALWAYS CARRY CHAINS AND TAKE EXTRA
FOOD AND CLOTHING IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO THE MOUNTAINS.
SNOWFALL WILL IMPACT TRAVEL ON INTERSTATE 8 THROUGH THE SAN
DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS. THIS WEATHER COULD BE DEADLY FOR
UNPREPARED CAMPERS OR HIKERS.

Still Closed

Just a quick note to let people know that the observatory is still closed to the public. Look here for an update saying that we are back open.

Shoveling Snow off of the Dome - Part 2

Some of you may remember my Shoveling Snow from the Dome post from April of last year. If not, feel free to follow the link to see some telephoto pictures of some of the Palomar crew shoveling snow off of the slit of the dome of the Hale Telescope.

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:

Notice that there is still quite a bit of snow on the dome, but the area that poses the greatest potential risk to the telescope has been pretty much cleared.

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:

The photo above is looking roughly southward. You can see the little dome of the 18-inch Schmidt (center) and the much bigger (but much farther away) dome for the 60-inch telescope (right). You can also see the snow-filled Mendenhall Valley and the Crestline/Birch Hill ridge of Palomar Mountain (behind the 60-inch telescope at right).

This view is looking toward High Point. If you click to embiggen the photo you can easily see the High Point lookout tower. In the center is the dome of the 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope. To the left is the observatory's 1,000,000-gallon water tank and the water tower.

Finally, check out this short video that I took of the view:

At Palomar Observatory every day is an adventure.

Observatory Closed Today Due to Winter Weather

A mix of snow, rain, fog & wind is producing potentially dangerous travel conditions on Palomar Mountain today. As a result the observatory is closed to the public today.

Shoveling Snow from the Dome

The dome of the Hale Telescope is 135-feet high. From this wide shot you can't easily notice the people on it, can you?


A zoom lens brings them nicely into focus as the crew shovels snow off of the dome:




It is hard work, but somebody has got to do it.

Closed Today. Tomorrow?

Palomar Observatory will likely be closed for all or most of Friday as we still have dangerous amounts of snow and ice on the compound and on the 135-foot high dome of the 200-inch telescope.

Work will continue throughout the day on snow and ice removal in the public areas and on the domes.

Right it is looking like we will be open for the weekend. I will post a confirmation when it is certain one way or the other.

Palomar Observatory Closed Today

Icy roads and snowy conditions will keep Palomar Observatory closed today, and possibly longer. Further updates will be posted when I know more.

Winter Weather Returns

UPDATE: Palomar Observatory is closed to the public today due to the hazardous winter weather conditions.

Be careful out there. Palomar Mountain is currently under a Winter Weather Advisory. Fog, wind, snow and icy roads are expected though at least Thursday morning. Travel to the San Diego mountains is not recommended at this time. If you are planning a trip to the observatory, it might be a good time to put it off for a while.


No word yet if this will affect our weekend tours. I'll post an update later in the week.

Speaking of our tours, here is a nice review of them.

Weekend Weather Update

The snow and rough weather has ended on Palomar and the observatory's small weekend crew is still digging out. The observatory will remain closed until it can be properly cleared of snow and ice, which isn't expected until after the weekend.

California Highway Patrol informs us that chains are required and that they are checking to see that people have them. I can say from experience that the roads are very icy. Anyone attempting to visit the mountains should be extra careful. The old adage is don't drive any faster than the the speed you want to crash into something.

The weather brings extra complications for staff at the observatory aside from public safety. This morning I tried to gain entrance to the dome of the 200-inch telescope. While I do indeed have a key to let me in the door marked "No Admittance", the lock was frozen and I could not open the door. Additionally, I am currently snowed out of my office, which is in a different building.

Palomar History Photo of the Week - December 21, 2009

The Winter Solstice occurs at 9:47 a.m. PST today here in the Northern Hemisphere, so this week's Palomar History Photo of the Week is a winter scene.


Here is a photo of the 200-inch telescope's dome taken during snow showers back in January 1938.

Lots of people like to visit Palomar around Christmas looking for snow. We do not have any on the ground now and there isn't any in the current forecast. As a reminder the observatory is closed December 24 & 25.

The Show Must Go On

We certainly don't get any astronomy done when it snows. Once the weather clears the snow has to be shoveled off of the dome before it can be opened for a night of observing.

The work is difficult, cold and dangerous (they wear safety harnesses), but the view from the top of the dome is fantastic.

Here are two members of the Palomar day crew as they shoveled snow off of the dome following one of last week's snow storms. Thanks to our Palomar Observatory Superintendent for the photo.

Icy Conditions

Yesterday's storm give us snow, rain, & ice. The three combined to make travel conditions very difficult and they kept the observatory closed to the public. Today the roads are still very icy but we are expecting to be able to open to visitors. Be careful out there.

Update: As of 10:30 a.m. it is snowing again.

Second Update: I just found out that we are not open today. Sorry about the late news.

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!

Be Careful Out There & Goodies in the mail

At the moment we have more snow falling which means that travel conditions will be deteriorating. Yesterday was the best the roads on Palomar have been all week and yet one of the drivers still managed to encounter an icy patch that sent their car off of the road. Thankfully, no one was hurt.


Be careful out there. We want our visitors to have visits that are enjoyable, educational and safe.

In other news, we had a nice padded envelope that just came in the mail. Inside were 21 photos from the 1930s on Palomar. Many of them are photos of the construction of the big dome that are new to me. One of the new ones is this picture of the completed open dome sitting on a snowy plain. The view today would be somewhat similar if it were not so foggy. Of course, we seldom have the dome open in the daytime.

Look for some of the dome construction photos to be posted here next week.

Observatory is Open

The observatory re-opened this morning. Anyone coming to visit should know that there are still icy spots on the roads, especially in the shady areas. Be careful.

There are also icy spots on the observatory grounds. Watch your step. Thankfully my office is not open to the public as it is currently surrounded by icy fingers of death. Perhaps that I why I was issued a hard hat.

On the astronomical side of things, the weather kept the domes closed for five nights in a row. Last night had some high cirrus clouds but the Big Eye was open to the sky for nine hours.

Ice

Yesterday's snow storm was indeed impressive. At times the sleet was coming down with a fury that I have never seen before. The snow and sleet, combined with an intense wind brought tree limbs and trees down knocking out the power more than once. As I write this part of the mountain is still without power, it having been knocked out more than 18 hours ago. The loss of power has also knocked out the phone for all of Palomar Mountain.

During the night the clouds completely cleared, giving us a hard freeze (18 degrees F at my house). While the roads have been plowed they are very icy. The icy conditions will keep the observatory closed to the public again today. We will re-open when it once again is safe for visitors on our site.

Snow Continues

It has hardly stopped snowing since my post yesterday and the observatory has been closed all day today. At last check the roads snow packed, icy, and generally not safe to drive upon.

More snow is forecast for Monday and again later in the week. If you are planning a visit to the Observatory this week, please call (760) 742-2119 to see if we are open or not.

Snow Closes Observatory Again

Last night's storm brought rain, fog, snow & ice. I spent morning at the back end of a snow blower and a snow shovel. As soon as I was "done" Ma Nature decided to turn on the snow again. As a result we are closed to the public for the day.

That's Greg from the Palomar staff working our new snow blower. Even the wet stuff like we got from this storm moves like a dream.