Even though we could see the fire tower on top of Palomar from my friend’s house it was a scenic 1 1/2 hour drive through some beautiful country. Parts of the ride feel like old America, with miles between ranches and cows, deer and rabbits roaming freely. We stopped on the way up at the Mount Palomar Post Office and the Palomar General Store for some refreshment and met our host Jean Mueller on the backside of the big dome?precisely?2:00pm.

We spent most of the time discussing the technical aspects of the telescope, like how it can be changed from 660 to 6000 inches in seven minutes or less. Or how the big mirror is lowered into the vacuum chamber every two years for recoating. The rotating dome of the building has a catwalk on the outside and we were permitted to stand on the catwalk while the dome rotated 360 degrees.

Jean Mueller and me talking while taking a 360??'ride' on the 24m high (80') outside balcony of the great Hale telescope.

At the beginning and the end of our hour and a half tour with Jean, we met and met-again Susan Vergara. Susan works for the Public Affairs office, reporting to Scott Kardell. Susan and Jean had a playful game of Hale Telescope trivia while we listened. Try this one – How many wheels sit at the bottom of the 1,000 ton movable dome to enable it to move without vibration?

Pictured is Jean Mueller, Bruce Berger (me) and Susan Vergara.

Bruce