Mount Wilson Observatory

Mount Wilson Observatory, astronomical observatory located on Mount Wilson 5,710 ft (1,740 m) above sea level, near Los Angeles, California. The observatory's many powerful telescopes, including both solar and reflecting telescopes, have facilitated the work of such astronomers as Edwin P. Hubble, who discovered the expansion of the universe. Founded in 1904 by the astronomer George Hale to study the solar surface, it was operated by the Carnegie Institute and the California Institute of Technology until 1989, when administrative control was assumed by the Mount Wilson Institute.

See also: Astronomy.