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| THE COLONY NEWS | JUNE 2024 | 19 | THE COLONY NEWS | JUNE 2024 | 19 In Memoriam Mary Crockett Christopher Faber Emily Theurick Sharlene VanderMeer Mike Zadeh By Mike Vergara, 951-473-5806 June is here! And probably June's gloom as well. That makes viewing the sky difficult for us. However, I know a place where they are happy about May Gray and June Gloom. Southeast of us, along the far mountain ridge, if you look closely, you can see a white speck of a building. That is the dome of the 200-inch Hale Telescope on Palomar Mountain. Today, it's the 19th largest telescope in the world; for over 40 years it was the largest. Why do they like the clouds? Because the clouds are a coastal phenomenon and block out the light pollution from the surrounding cities, which makes the sky darker on Palomar Mountain. Darker skies are better for astronomy. Telescopes like the Hale are generally described by their aperture, or the size of the opening which allows starlight into the telescope. The Hale telescope's aperture is 200 inches (16 feet 8 inches or 5.1 meters) in diameter. By design, this is also the size of its primary mirror, whose creation is a story unto itself. The story of the building of this instrument is a tale of vision and perseverance. Its construction was guided by George Ellery Hale, probably the most famous astronomer you've never heard of. Hale first wrote of his vision for this telescope in Harper's Magazine in 1928. He had already overseen the construction of the "world's largest telescope" three times. These were the 40-inch telescope at Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin, and the 60-inch and 100-inch telescopes on Mount Wilson (above Pasadena) in California. George Hale did not live to see its completion, and so when it was dedicated in 1948 it was named for the man whose energy and drive had made it possible. If you're looking for a place to take your grandkids or you just want to get away from the summer heat, Palomar Observatory is open for public tours on weekends through the summer. It's educational and inspiring. Full disclosure, Susan and I helped set up the tour program back in 2006. To find where the planets and constellations are, visit http://skymaps.com/index.html. From there you can print your own map of the sky for the month. Clear skies! June Night Sky June Night Sky