Blaze Threatens Historic Observatory

from National Public Radio

The California wildfires are threatening the Mount Wilson Observatory, which houses two giant telescopes and several multimillion-dollar university programs. Hal McAlister, the director of the observatory and a professor of astronomy at Georgia State University, says Mount Wilson is a superb site for astronomy because of its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which helps produce steady star images.

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, September 1, 2009