In an era where the glow of digital screens dominate our evenings, Mount Wilson Observatory offers an alternative illumination: the light of distant stars viewed through historic telescopes that once revolutionized humanity’s understanding of the cosmos.
The observatory, perched atop a 5,710-foot peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, has announced its 2025 season of Saturday Evening Talks & Telescopes, a series that combines cutting-edge astronomical lectures with the rare opportunity to gaze through the same instruments that Edwin Hubble used to discover our expanding universe.
Since its founding in 1904 by astronomer and visionary George Ellery Hale, the research conducted at Mount Wilson Observatory has revolutionized our understanding of the Universe. Mount Wilson Institute has independently operated and maintained the Mount Wilson Observatory since 1989 under a long-term agreement with the Carnegie Institution of Washington. The Institute continues to preserve the observatory’s legacy as the site of numerous groundbreaking astronomical discoveries while making these historic facilities accessible to the public.
The six-month series launches on May 10 with a presentation by Dr. Phil Korngut of Caltech, instrument scientist for NASA’s newest space telescope, SPHEREx. His talk, “The Saga of SPHEREx: NASA’s All-Sky Spectroscopic Mapping Machine,” will provide insights into what it takes to build a space telescope, coming just two months after SPHEREx’s March 11 launch. The event runs from 5:30pm to 11:45pm with the “talk” portion of the evening beginning in the Observatory’s Auditorium. Tickets for the May 10 event are available at https://www.mtwilson.edu/events/talk051025.
SPHEREx represents NASA’s latest effort to map the entire sky, delivering not only images but also infrared spectroscopy data. According to the observatory’s materials, the telescope’s design “was optimized to tackle three fundamental astrophysics goals: to build a three-dimensional map of the large-scale structure of the Universe and probe the period of inflation following the big bang; to explore galaxy evolution by studying the total light production throughout cosmic history; and to survey the plane of our Milky Way, conducting a census of life-enabling water ice embedded in the dust grains of interstellar clouds.” The talk will offer a preview of SPHEREx’s tantalizing first light spectral images, revealing the extraordinary potential of this new NASA telescope.
Following the May opener, the 2025 season continues with an eclectic lineup spanning the intersection of astronomy, geology, art and history:
- June 14: “No One May Ever Have The Same Knowledge Again: Letters to Mt Wilson Observatory, 1915-1935” with David Wilson, Co-Founder and Director of the Museum of Jurassic Technology.
- July 12: “Volcanism in the Solar System” presented by Dr. Rosaly M.C. Lopes, Deputy Director for Planetary Science at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
- August 9: “Planet Nine from Outer Space” featuring Mike Brown, Professor of Planetary Astronomy at Caltech, whose work led to Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet.
- September 13: “A Bigger Infinity” with Lia Halloran, Professor of Art and Department of Art Chair at Chapman University, exploring the intersection of art and astronomy.
- October 11: “Decoding Cosmic Rainbows” co-presented by Prof. Jenny Krestow of Glendale Community College and Dr. Chris Burns of Carnegie Science Observatories.
During the six-month season, each Talks & Telescopes presentation starts out in the Observatory’s Auditorium, followed by picnic dining—bring your own or purchase from a food truck or caterer (cash is a safer bet due to frequent cell phone reception issues)—and then stargazing through Mount Wilson’s immense telescopes after the sun goes down. For the May event, Gourmet Genie’s food truck will ascend the mountain for an epicurean adventure. Additional stargazing around the grounds will be available thanks to members from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society.
Both the 60-inch telescope and the 100-inch telescope (the telescope on which Edwin Hubble discovered our expanding universe) will be available for viewing the night sky. These instruments, the largest in the world made available to public viewing, offer glimpses of celestial objects that appear in textbooks but are rarely seen directly by non-astronomers.
The 100-inch Hooker Telescope, housed in a dome designed by Daniel Burnham, reigned as the world’s largest telescope from 1917 to 1949. Its revolutionary size allowed Hubble to resolve individual stars in distant galaxies, fundamentally changing our conception of the universe’s scale. The dome for the telescope—described in observatory materials as “a 20th century temple to science whose acoustics rival the great cathedrals of Europe”—provides a unique setting for these astronomical events.
Visitors to the Saturday Evening Talks & Telescopes events have the opportunity to experience firsthand the historic instruments that transformed our understanding of the cosmos.
At $50 per ticket, the Saturday Evening Talks & Telescopes series represents the most economical option among Mount Wilson’s various stargazing programs. Advance purchase is highly recommended as these events regularly sell out.
The Observatory grounds are open to the public daily from 10:00am to 5:00pm from early April through November. Entrance to the grounds is free. Visitors can hike, gaze at the telescope domes and towers that dot the landscape, and take a look at historic Mount Wilson photos and letters in the Museum.
Weekend visitors can also enjoy the Cosmic Café, located above the main parking lot at the Observatory entrance, which is open on weekends in the spring, summer, and fall. In addition to traditional menu items such as hot dogs, drinks, and snacks, the Café offers wraps, salads, and sweet treats from Little Flower Café.
A U.S. Forest Service Adventure Pass is required to park at the Observatory. A $5 day pass or a $30 annual pass may be purchased at the Cosmic Café on weekends. During the week, passes are available at locations around Los Angeles. The most convenient location before heading up is at the Shell station in La Canada at the bottom of the Angeles Crest Highway.
Prospective visitors should note that access to the 100-inch dome requires climbing a 53-step open-air staircase inside the building. There is no ADA-compliant access.
As light pollution increasingly obscures the night sky for most Southern Californians, Mount Wilson offers a rare portal to the cosmos — combining historical significance with contemporary science in a setting that has shaped our understanding of the universe for over a century.
Mount Wilson Observatory’s Saturday Evening Talks & Telescopes events run May through October 2025. Tickets and additional information are available at mtwilson.edu/lectures.
