A VORACIOUS Californian forest fire is threatening the near Los Angeles, where, nearly a century ago, Edwin Hubble made the observations that confirmed the notion of an expanding universe.
The started on 26 August. As 91av went to press, it had burned through some 425 square kilometres of the , destroyed buildings and led to the deaths of two firefighters.
The describes the fire’s passage across mount Wilson as “imminent”. Firefighters have evacuated their base below the observatory, although flame retardant will continue to be dropped in the area.
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of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, who uses the observatory to monitor the sun’s surface, says the fire could irreparably damage the observatory’s buildings and telescopes. Only the most recent observational data is at risk.
“The ‘Station fire’ could irreparably damage the observatory’s buildings and telescopes”
