Georgia State University employees have evacuated a California observatory because of dangerous wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
The fast-moving fire was at one point within 2 miles of the Mount Wilson Observatory where the employees worked, but a change in winds means the facility no longer appears to be in imminent danger, said Harold McAlister, a Georgia State astronomy professor.
McAlister is director of the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA), which is located on Mount Wilson.
The CHARA Array is six telescopes spread out over the mountaintop that can zoom in on stars and stellar systems, allowing scientists to observe them with a new clarity, McAlister said. The instrument, worth about $20 million, is one of the most powerful of its kind in the world, he said.
About 20 people work at the observatory and about one-third of them are affiliated with Georgia State, McAlister said.
McAlister said he's received updates about the blaze throughout the weekend and is posting new information at www.mtwilson.edu/fire.php .
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
