Observatories - From Stonehenge to Space Telescopes

Hale 200 Inch Telescope

Today on Far Future Horizons we present an exciting episode from the fourth season of the acclaimed documentary series Modern Marvels that looks at the history of Astronomical Observatories, the building of the 200 inch telescope, the establishment of the Palomar Observatory and the work of George Ellery Hale.

Humankind has always been a race of stargazers. Even before the invention of the wheel, primitive cultures built great stone monuments to record the movements of the heavens. But in the last century, a handful of pioneers have learned more about the wonders of the universe than all the dreamers before them could have ever imagined. 

The Hubble Space Telescope

Observatories: Stonehenge to Space Telescopes tells the story of men and women who battled public ridicule in the quest to unlock the secrets of the cosmos.

The Best of Modern Marvels DVD MegaSet is currently available from the History Channel's online store and Amazon.com.

Modern Marvels: Observatories - Stonehenge to the Space Telescopes 

Modern Marvels S03E03 - Observatories... by daniel-dusenberg Copyright Disclaimer Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.