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Ford Observatory

American astronomical observatory stubsAngeles National ForestAstronomical observatories in CaliforniaBuildings and structures in San Bernardino County, CaliforniaSan Gabriel Mountains
Use American English from July 2025Wrightwood, California

The Clinton B. Ford Observatory (Wrightwood) (Observatory Code 674) is an astronomical observatory that is associated historically with the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). The observatory is located near the border of the Angeles National Forest and the San Bernardino National Forest near Wrightwood, California (United States). It was founded by the late astronomer Clinton B. Ford. In 2012, the Clinton B. Ford Observatory was donated to the Los Angeles Astronomical Society (LAAS). On September 10th, 2024, the Bridge Fire rapidly approached and completely destroyed the observatory.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Ford Observatory (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Ford Observatory
Table Mountain Road,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 34.381944444444 ° E -117.68166666667 °
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Table Mountain Road

Table Mountain Road
92397
California, United States
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1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake

The 1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake, also known simply as the Capistrano earthquake or the Wrightwood earthquake, occurred on December 8 at 15:00 UTC (07:00 a.m. local time) in Alta California. At the time, this was a colonial territory of the Spanish Empire. Damage occurred at several of the missions in the region of Pueblo de Los Ángeles, including Mission San Gabriel Arcángel and Mission San Juan Capistrano, where 40 parishioners were killed during the collapse of a church at an early morning service. Tree-ring and paleoseismic evidence show that there is a strong likelihood that the earthquake originated along the Mojave segment of the San Andreas Fault near Wrightwood, but other faults have been suggested as the cause. Several studies in the 1980s placed the shock along the southern Newport–Inglewood Fault near the zone of highest reported intensity. This fault is near the coast and the most significant damage at the missions, but later work at trench sites along the San Andreas Fault excluded it for this large-to-very-large shock. Dynamic rupture modelling enabled another proposal in the 2010s involving a dual-rupture scenario with both the San Andreas and San Jacinto Fault Zones. Each of these studies worked with limited data, and the effects of the shock and various fault rupture details led to Mercalli intensities of VII (Very strong) to IX (Violent) being proposed. Magnitudes from 6.9 Mla on the low end to 7.5 Mw on the high end were also presented.