December 10, 2008 #060 - The Griffith Observer

I picked up a pamphlet at a library sale not long ago that I could not pass up for a buck, even though it cost only 20 cents when it was published in 1958. It is called "The Griffith Observer". I have never seen a copy before, or been to the observatory, so I decided to do a little research on the web.

Griffith Observatory is located above Los Angeles, CA. They began publishing this booklet in 1937 and it is still published today. They have a cumulative index that you can download and they will provide photo copies back to the first issue. They are available for $8.00 each. The annual subscription is $23.00. Information can be found at:

http://www.griffithobservatory.org/observer.html

They have extensive programs for the public, all detailed on their website. The Sidewalk Astronomers even set up telescopes each month for public viewing. Based on the pictures, I would guess that as with many older observatory sites light pollution is a very bad problem for them. They have photos of binoculars mounted to provide views of Los Angeles, which doesn't look that far away. As many of us can attest, light polution is a common problem across much of the Midwest, not just California.

http://www.griffithobservatory.org/btelescopes.html



Clear Sky - Rich