place

Stony Ridge Observatory

1957 establishments in CaliforniaAngeles National ForestAstronomical observatories in CaliforniaEducational buildings in Los Angeles County, California
Stony Ridge Observatory buildings 2014 11 05
Stony Ridge Observatory buildings 2014 11 05

Stony Ridge Observatory is an astronomical observatory built by and for amateur astronomers in the mountains of Los Angeles County, California, in 1957. When installed, its 760 mm (30 in) Newtonian-Cassegrain likely ranked as 8th largest of all telescopes in California, and one of the largest amateur telescopes in the United States. The telescope is designed so that one of four Newtonian foci, or a Cassegrain focus, can be used. Asteroids 10168 Stony Ridge, 144633 Georgecarroll and 327030 Alanmaclure, were discovered at the observatory, and other scientific research (including an extensive lunar photography and mapping project in cooperation with Lockheed upon which the decision on the lunar lander touchdown site was based) has been conducted there. The observatory also has a 12-inch Cassegrain telescope and a number of accessory items, including CCD cameras and computer equipment. Facilities include an administration building with a small galley and bunkroom, the dome containing the 30-inch telescope, and a vault-style outhouse. The facility has Edison electric power and a landline telephone connection, but water must be carried in. Stony Ridge is located on a remote, restricted-access site north of Mt. Wilson, near Charlton Flat in the Angeles National Forest. In September 2009, Stony Ridge was at risk of being lost to a wildfire but escaped with minimal fire damage to one side of the outhouse building, although nearby ground cover was burned away, and the foliage of surrounding Coulter pines was destroyed.Recent restoration projects, completed in mid-2017, included: Re-installation of the original, George Carroll-designed right ascension and declination drive systems; installation of a Software Bisque-based "go to" system which will point the telescope at a computer-selected celestial object too faint to be seen with the naked eye or the telelescope's finder scopes; stripping and re-aluminization of the primary and secondary mirrors, which were significantly deteriorated by age, as well as smoke and heat from the infamous Station Fire, which burned more than 200 square miles of the Angeles National Forest surrounding the observatory in 2009.

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

Stony Ridge Observatory
Angeles Crest Highway,

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Wikipedia: Stony Ridge ObservatoryContinue reading on Wikipedia

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N 34.301555555556 ° E -117.99788888889 °
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Stony Ridge Observatory

Angeles Crest Highway
93553
California, United States
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Stony Ridge Observatory buildings 2014 11 05
Stony Ridge Observatory buildings 2014 11 05
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Newcomb's Ranch
Newcomb's Ranch

Newcomb's Ranch is a roadhouse at 5,340 feet (1,630 m) in elevation in the Angeles National Forest, near Los Angeles, California. It is the only private property along the Angeles Crest Highway and is very popular with motorcyclists and is called "the informal headquarters for riders" by the Los Angeles Magazine and "one of Southern California's most famous Rickey Racer Roadhouses" by Motorcyclist. The roadhouse is located in unincorporated Los Angeles County, near La Cañada Flintridge.The Newcomb family, who also created the Mount Waterman ski area, settled the property using the Land Revision Act of 1891, building the roadhouse in 1939. The roadhouse has served as a restaurant, hotel, general store, gas station, and as a brothel or love hotel. The inn burned in 1976, allegedly started by a cook who had been terminated. The fire destroyed most of the second floor, which was not rebuilt. It was purchased in late 2001 by Frederick Rundall, an oncologist who purchased the roadhouse from Lynn Newcomb and remodeled it in 2003 for $340,000. The second floor became lodging for employees.Motorcyclist and comedian Jay Leno is a "frequent visitor" to Newcomb's.The roadhouse closed in 2009 for the Station Fire. In January 2010 following the storm closure of Angeles Crest Highway between Newcomb's and Los Angeles, as well as a South Coast Air Quality Management District violation for operating a diesel generator without permit, Rundall shelved remodeling plans and discussed closing down completely.The ranch was closed in March 2020 and put up for sale in June 2021. As of January 2023, the ranch is still closed and up for sale.

Mount Wilson Observatory
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