Founded in December 1904 by George Ellery Hale as one of the original scientific enterprises of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Mt. Wilson Observatory is completing its first century as one of the world's premier astronomical observatories. During the first half of the twentieth century Mt. Wilson was successively home to the world's two largest telescopes as well as the most powerful facilities in existence for studying the sun. The 60-inch and 100-inch night-time telescopes and the 60-ft and 150-ft solar tower telescopes in the hands of the brilliant scientists who used them revolutionized astronomy through such discoveries as:
On December 20, 1904 the Carnegie Institution of Washington approved George Ellery Hale's proposal to found a new solar observatory atop Mount Wilson in Southern California. Thus began an unprecendented 100-year journey. Mount Wilson ushered in 20th century astronomy and defined the field for much of the 20th century. As Mount Wilson Observatory begins its second century we take a look back at the first 100 years of one of the most productive scientific institutions in history.
In the twenty-first century, the Observatory hosts several of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world for studying astronomical objects with unprecedented resolution and clarity. The 100-inch Hooker telescope remains in active scientific service, and the solar towers are daily collecting data representing the world's longest continuous record of the sun.

Since 1986, Mt. Wilson Observatory has been operated under an agreement with the Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW) by the Mount Wilson Institute (MWI), a 501c(3) non-profit corporation whose mission focuses on scientific research, historic preservation, astronomical education and public outreach. Guest institutions operating facilities on the Observatory grounds include: the University of California, Berkeley; Georgia State University; University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana; the University of California, Los Angeles; and the University of Southern California. The Mount Wilson Observatory Association (MWOA) provides invaluable volunteer and docent support to the Observatory.
Star Award