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Mount Wilson Observatory

@mtwilsonobservatory

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Historic observatory home to the 60 & 100 inch telescopes used by Edwin Hubble.

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**The Observatory is OPEN Saturday, October 17!**

Due to a precautionary power shutoff by Southern California Edison in response to high winds, the Cosmic Cafe's kitchen will be closed Saturday.

But there's still plenty to enjoy on the mountain!

Gift Shop: Open, with parking passes available for purchase.

Docent Tours: 11:30 AM & 1:00 PM, as scheduled.

Talks & Telescopes: Our evening event will proceed as planned.

All other areas of the Observatory remain open to visitors. We hope to reopen the Cafe's kitchen on Sunday, October 18, weather and power conditions permitting.

Thank you for your understanding! by @mtwilsonobservatory

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2 days ago

Just a few tickets remaining! Join us for the final Talks & Telescopes evening of the season this Saturday Oct 17, featuring a special talk by Sam Hale, CEO and Board Chair of the Mount Wilson Institute and grandson of Observatory founder George Ellery Hale. Hear Hale’s story from his grandson, then enjoy a memorable night of observing through Mount Wilson’s historic 60-inch and 100-inch telescopes.
Talk at 5:30 PM | Observing until 11:30 PM.
🎟️ www.mtwilson.edu/events/lecture101726 by @mtwilsonobservatory

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4 days ago

NGC 891, recently captured over two nights by Reggie Jones, who conducts astrophotography from Mount Wilson’s roll-off roof enclosure. This striking spiral is nicknamed the “Outer Limits Galaxy” for its appearance in the credits of the classic TV series The Outer Limits. Swipe to the annotated image to discover some of the many other galaxies in the field, including the galaxy cluster ACO 347. by @mtwilsonobservatory

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4 days ago

A very special evening will close our 2026 Talks & Telescopes season. On October 17, Sam Hale, CEO and Board Chair of the Mount Wilson Institute and grandson of Observatory founder George Ellery Hale, will share a uniquely personal perspective on his grandfather’s remarkable life, accomplishments, and struggles.

To hear Hale’s story told by his grandson, here on the mountain where so much of that story unfolded, promises to be a memorable end to the season. After the talk, spend the evening under the stars, with observing on both the historic 60-inch and 100-inch telescopes.

Saturday, October 17 | Talk at 5:30 PM | Observing until 11:30 PM

tix @ the link in our bio by @mtwilsonobservatory

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8 days ago

Looking for a Saturday afternoon escape? Head up to Mount Wilson Observatory for some mountain air, a little exploring, and a classic science-fiction movie in our historic auditorium. Join us at 3PM for the final Matinee on the Mountain of 2026: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Come up early, explore the Observatory, grab some popcorn, and settle in for a little vintage sci-fi on the mountain. Tickets available at the link in our bio or at the door! by @mtwilsonobservatory

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9 days ago

What a way to close out the season! A sold-out crowd joined us in the 100-inch telescope dome Sunday Oct 4 for our final concerts of 2026 - and ended the afternoon on their feet, cheering and applauding the incredible piano quartets. Thank you to the extraordinary musicians, everyone who joined us on the mountain this year, and our Artistic Director, Cécilia Tsan, for another unforgettable season of music in the dome. We can’t wait to welcome you back to Mount Wilson for more music under the 100-inch telescope in 2027. by @mtwilsonobservatory

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11 days ago

A reminder to visitors: please do not disturb any unusually large seed pods you may encounter on the mountain. Mountain staff are monitoring the situation. Docents have been instructed to remain vigilant. Volunteers are asked to report any colleagues who seem almost - but not quite - like themselves. Telescope operators are advised to count their guests carefully at the beginning and end of each session…Don’t worry! The only invasion we’re expecting is on the big screen. Join us for our final Matinee on the Mountain of the season: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), this Saturday, October 10 at 3 PM in the historic Mount Wilson Observatory auditorium. 🎟️ www.mtwilson.edu/events/movie101026 by @mtwilsonobservatory

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11 days ago

On October 5, 1923, Edwin Hubble began the night of observing with Mount Wilson’s 100-inch telescope that would help reveal a universe far larger than the Milky Way. On October 5, 2026, Rep. @repjudychu introduced a resolution to designate October 5 as National Beyond the Milky Way Day, honoring this historic discovery and its legacy.

Pictured: Hubble at the 100-inch telescope and his famous “VAR!” plate of Andromeda, taken during the observing night of October 5–6, 1923.

Learn more by clicking link in bio!! by @mtwilsonobservatory

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13 days ago

One last movie on the mountain this year! Our 2026 Matinees on the Mountain season comes to a close on October 10 with one of the great science-fiction films of the 1950s: Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This 1956 classic follows a small-town doctor who begins to suspect that something is terribly wrong with the people around him. And there’s a local connection: much of the fictional town of Santa Mira was filmed in Sierra Madre, just down the hill from Mount Wilson. Join us for one final Sunday afternoon at the movies in the Observatory’s historic auditorium.
tix at the link in our bio! by @mtwilsonobservatory

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14 days ago

You don’t need a special event to spend a day at Mount Wilson. Come up for the views, explore the historic grounds, grab something at the Cosmic Café, and take a guided tour to learn about the telescopes, people, and discoveries that changed our understanding of the universe. Fall is a beautiful time on the mountain!
Docent-led tours: Saturdays & Sundays at 11:30 AM & 1 PM
Cosmic Cafe: Saturdays & Sundays, 10 AM–5 PM by @mtwilsonobservatory

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17 days ago

Our final Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome of 2026 is this Sunday, October 4, with Mahler and Brahms, a wonderful group of musicians, and our beautiful donated piano at the heart of the program. It’s the last chance to hear the piano in the dome before the concert series returns next year - and a lovely way to finish another season of music at Mount Wilson. We still have a few tickets available for both 3PM and 5PM performances! Tix @ the link in our bio by @mtwilsonobservatory

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18 days ago

Just when we thought the view couldn’t get any better. 🌈 by @mtwilsonobservatory

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20 days ago