USA 1948 – Palomar Observatory
In 1928 the American astronomer George
Ellery Hale (1868–1938) was awarded a grant of $6 million
by the Rockefeller Foundation to build the largest telescope in
the world, with a mirror 200 inches (5 m) in diameter. A site
was chosen at an altitude of 1706 m (5600 feet) on Palomar
Mountain, 80 km (50 miles) northeast of San Diego, California.
Work began on the telescope in 1934 but was interrupted by
World War II, and not until late 1947 was the mirror installed.
Even then, nearly two years of final polishing and adjustment
was needed.
At a dedication ceremony in June 1948,
before it was fully operational, the 200-inch telescope was
named in memory of George Ellery Hale, who had died ten years
earlier. In August that year this commemorative stamp was
issued showing the telescope’s dome, 41 m (135 ft) tall
and 42 m (137 ft) in diameter. Edwin Hubble took the first
photographic exposure with the Hale telescope in January 1949
and in October it was finally put into full-time use, 21 years
after the award of the initial grant. The Palomar giant was not
superseded in size until 1975. It remains in productive
operation.
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