Spend an Evening with History Under the Stars

NOTE: As of 12:55, September 16, this tour is full. We regret not being able to take more, but we must limit the number of participants in order to ensure a quality viewing experience for all attendees.

If you are interested in seeing Mt. Wilson while in Pasadena, please take advantage of our docent led tours that take place at 1:00 p.m. on all Saturdays and Sundays.

The historic Mount Wilson Observatory is the birthplace of modern astronomy, with a breadth of fundamental discoveries ranging from solar research and stellar evolution to the very origins of the Universe itself that are unsurpassed at any other scientific facility on Earth. Come walk in the footsteps of the great astronomers of the 20th Century who worked at Mount Wilson and used what were then the largest telescopes in the world to unlock the fundamental secrets of the Universe. Your evening on Mount Wilson will prove to be a truly memorable experience that will be cherished for a lifetime.

	PATS attendees will ... see where Hubble made his great cosmological discoveries and Einstein visited, ... inspect in detail the telescope that discovered the expansion of the universe, ... visit the Monastery where the distinguished astronomers lived, ate, and worked, ... see how the solar astronomers study our Sun, ... tour the CHARA Array as it sharpens Mt. Wilson's leading edge in astronomical research ... and *observe through the* *60-inch telescope, the instrument that revealed our place in the Milky Way Galaxy!*

PATS attendees will

... see where Hubble made his great cosmological discoveries and Einstein visited,

... inspect in detail the telescope that discovered the expansion of the universe,

... visit the Monastery where the distinguished astronomers lived, ate, and worked,

... see how the solar astronomers study our Sun,

... tour the CHARA Array as it sharpens Mt. Wilson's leading edge in astronomical research

... and observe through the 60-inch telescope, the instrument that revealed our place in the Milky Way Galaxy!

The Tour:
The tour begins at 5:00 PM on Saturday, September 18, at the Observatory’s main gate, about a 90 minute drive from PATS at the Pasadena Convention Center. Your Mt. Wilson host, Superintendent Dave Jurasevich, well steeped in the stories and traditions of this historic Observatory, will meet you at the main gate and introduce the group to the various facilities on the mountain. You will have a catered dinner, and then take turns until 1:00 a.m. looking through the 60-inch telescope as well as other telescopes set up outside the 60-inch dome. Dinner and refreshments will be provided for all attendees.

Registration and Details:
You may register for the tour online HERE. Sorry---the tour is full and this link will no longer work.

The tour is open only to attendees of the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show 12 years of age and older. You may find out more about PATS at telescopeshow.com.

The cost of the tour is $120, and must be paid by Paypal, with your registration. This includes the tour, dinner, and beverages during observing.

You are responsible for your own transportation to and from Mount Wilson. We will have a "Car Pool Board" at PATS for those who may wish to share rides, but neither PATS nor the Mount Wilson Institute assume any responsibility or liability for your transportation arrangements or visit to the Mt. Wilson facility while in transit or at the Observatory.

The tour is limited to the first twenty five registrants (at least ten participants will be required for the event to go forward). Refunds will be provided only to those who notify PATS by September 15. There will be no weather-related refunds.

Due to winter storm damage following the 2009 Station Fire, the normal access route to Mount Wilson from La Canada is closed for repairs. To download a map showing the current driving directions to the Observatory, please click here. For those less comfortable reading a map, please click here for written driving instructions. Remember to allow 90 minutes of driving time from Pasadena to the Observatory.

The Mount Wilson Observatory is located at an elevation of 5700 feet with the tour requiring walking up and down many stairs and steep pathways and is not easily accessible to persons with physical disabilities. Those with known cardiac and respiratory conditions may also want to consider this before booking a reservation. You may find out more about the Mt. Wilson Observatory by going to their official website here.