July 17, 2007 – Tuesday
Today we collected broll (video images) of the 200 inch telescope on Mount Palomar;
The Super-Nice Public Affairs Coordinator Scott Kardel, allowed Kris and Steve to grab some shots from a narrow instrument ledge all the way to the top of the scope structure, which was about 200 feet high! Its one of the only observatories where you can actually above the telescope inside the dome…I think it’s the highest Steve has ever shot from, so far. As the the scope slewed into position, the dome opened, and the sky was revealed to the camera…too beautiful, folks, What did those early astronomers think in 1948, when they witnessed this enormous machine do its thing for the first time?
The Plano-Cam was also put to work, and as the dome opened, all cams were rolling, so we got Palomar pretty much covered. We did an interview with one of the astronomers there, shot a bunch of pretty scope video, and stayed really late outside as Kris captured still-images of the deep sky into his camera. We saw some meteors, and finally drove down the windy roads back to the hotel.