Sunstar is an art/science collaboration by Liliane Lijn and John Vallerga

A closeup of the Sunstar prism array, mounted near the top of the 150-foot Solar Telescope Tower.

What’s that Strange Light on Top of Mount Wilson?

During the last year or so we have been asked this question many times. We have been testing a special art installation called Sunstar, created and owned by artist Liliane Lijn and astrophysicist John Vallerga. It is on loan to Mount Wilson Observatory, and can now be seen from a number of locations around the area. For a schedule go to our Sunstar page.

An array of six prisms, Sunstar takes incoming sunlight and refracts it, bending the light and spreading it into a spectrum–all the colors of the rainbow. It is mounted near the top of the Observatory’s 150-foot Solar Telescope Tower. With motion controls, it can be remotely directed to project the spectrum to a specific point in the Los Angeles basin. An observer below will see an intense point of light in a single wavelength, shining like a brilliant jewel from the ridgeline of Mount Wilson, 5800 feet above in the San Gabriel Mountains. The prisms can be moved to change the color of light an observer sees, or the observer can walk in one direction or another to change the color. In this case, the observer is actually walking across a giant spectrum some 250 yards long. While still very bright, at the great distances involved, it is perfectly safe to look at a single wavelength of sunlight.

Why are we doing this? For the wonder of it, the pure delight at seeing brilliant spectral colors derived directly from the Sun, the source of light that gives us life.

For the science of it. Mount Wilson Observatory was the first built specifically to do spectroscopy, to capture light from the Sun and other stars and spread it out into all its wavelengths, so that all the information it contains could be deciphered. And this art installation is useful in our STEM outreach program for local schools — it generates intrigue in the spectrum and teaches spectroscopy, a powerful tool used in almost all sciences and many industries. Students in an open area can walk through the entire spectrum.

Finally, Sunstar draws attention to Mount Wilson Observatory, and is a fitting way to celebrate our founder George Ellery Hale’s 150th anniversary. He was a solar astronomer, visionary, and institution builder, who influenced many aspects of the development of  Pasadena from the moment he selected Mount Wilson as the site for the Carnegie Institution’s Observatory.

Thank you to all who contributed to our first Triple Match!

We raised $78,000 to get started with our plans to build much needed public restroom facilities on the eastern side of the Observatory near the telescope domes. More funds will be needed to complete the project, as construction on the mountain, a mile above Los Angeles, is costly, but it is a fantastic start. When finished, it will greatly improve the experience of our many visitors, such as school groups, hikers, and others who enjoy the mountaintop. Currently, we often need to rent restroom facilities for our special events, which costs us more than $32,000 a year. The new restrooms will make the Observatory more financially sustainable in the long term by sparing us this annual expense.

Dear Friends & Supporters of Mount Wilson Observatory,

This spring, I decided to help the Observatory with a pledge of $20,000 on the condition that others donate an equal amount. It quickly evolved into a triple match, with a small group—trustees and others—pledging another $20,000. The response was overwhelming: by the deadline, on September 16, not only was the goal met, it was exceeded by more than $6,000!

We at the Observatory are filled with gratitude for those who gave so generously to make this first ever triple match a resounding success. I am so thrilled by the response, I will also match the extra $6,000. My deepest thanks to everyone, near and far, who pitched in!

Our mostly volunteer staff works very hard to maintain and preserve this world-class site both for its ongoing scientific research and its remarkable history. Your help is deeply appreciated by all of us. The love of the place is what keeps us going!

With Heartfelt Gratitude,

Mike Horner
Mount Wilson Trustee