The Griffith Observatory is an observatory in Los Angeles, California, on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It overlooks the Los Angeles Basin, including downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. The observatory is a popular tourist attraction with close-up views of the Hollywood sign and a wide variety of space and science exhibits. It is named after its benefactor, Griffith J. Griffith. Since the opening of the observatory in 1935, the entrance is free, according to the will of the benefactor. Since the observatory opened in 1935, more than 7 million people have been able to look through the 12-inch (30.5 cm) Zeiss refractor; this is the most people ever seen through a telescope. The interior has a “space” theme. On December 16, 1896, Griffith J. Griffith donated 3,015 acres (12.20 km2) of land around the observatory to the City of Los Angeles. Griffith donated money in his will to build an observatory, exhibition hall and planetarium on the donated land. Griffith’s goal was to make astronomy accessible to the general public, contrary to the prevailing idea that observatories should be located on remote mountaintops and restricted to scientists. Griffith drew up detailed specifications for the observatory. In drawing up the plans, he consulted with Walter Sydney Adams, future director of the Mount Wilson Observatory, and George Ellery Hale, who (with Andrew Carnegie) built the first astrophysical telescope in Los Angeles. As a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, construction began on June 20, 1933, using a design by architects John C. Austin and Frederic Morse Ashley (1870–1960) based on original sketches by Russell W. porter The observatory and related exhibits opened to the public on May 14, 1935 as the nation’s third planetarium. During the first five days of operation, the observatory attracted more than 13,000 visitors. Dinsmore Alter was the director of the museum in its early years. The building combines Greek and Beaux-Arts influences, and the exterior is decorated with a Greek key pattern.
During World War II, the planetarium was used to train pilots in celestial navigation. The planetarium was used for this purpose again in the 1960s to train Apollo astronauts for the first lunar missions. The Griffith Observatory Foundation was established in 1978 like the Friends of the Observatory. It was founded by Debra Griffith and Harold Griffith (grandson of the benefactor of the observatory) along with Dr. E.C. Krupp (the current director of the observatory) and a small group of dedicated collaborators. The foundation supports the mission of the observatory of public astronomy and advocates for the restoration and expansion of the observatory. The foundation will continue to promote the observatory as a facilitator of scientific literacy, education and experiential astronomy. The first exhibition that visitors encountered in 1935 was Foucault’s pendulum, designed to show the rotation of the Earth. Also on display was a 12-inch (305 mm) Zeiss refracting telescope in the east dome, a three-beam objective (solar telescope) in the west dome, and a 38-foot relief model of the North Pole region of the Moon. Griffith requested that the observatory include a development exhibit, which was carried out in the Cosmochron exhibit, which included a story by Caltech professor Chester Stock and an accompanying slide show. The Evolution Exhibition existed from 1937 until the mid-1960s. Don’t forget to check out this place in Los Angeles too. The original design also included a planetarium under a large central dome.
The first presentations covered topics such as the Moon, the worlds of the Solar System, and eclipses. The Café at the End of the Universe, a tribute to the restaurant at the End of the Universe, is one of several cafés run by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. One wall inside the building is covered with the largest astronomically accurate image ever constructed (152 feet ( 6 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) high), called the “Great Image”, of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies; visitors can view the high-definition image at arm’s length or through telescopes 18 meters away. In 2006, the Zeiss Mark IV star projector (196 ) was replaced by the Zeiss Mark IX Universarium. The former planetarium projector is part of an underground exhibit that shows how humanity has visualized the sky. At the center of the universe is a high-resolution immersive video projected using an innovative laser system developed by Evans and Sutherland Corporation, as well as a short simulation of the night sky projected by the Zeiss Universarium. A team of animators worked for more than two years to create the 30-minute program. Actors holding a glowing ball perform under the direction of Chris Shelton. Tickets for the show are purchased separately at the observatory’s box office. Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis. Children under 5 are free, but are only admitted to the first planetarium show of the day. Only members of the observatory’s support group, Friends Of The Observatory, can book tickets for the planetarium show. Admission to the building and grounds of the Griffith Observatory is free. Observatory planetarium shows are offered eight times a day on weekdays and ten times a day on weekends. A nominal fee is charged for admission to the planetarium shows. Weather permitting, the observatory offers free public viewing of the telescope every evening when the observatory is open – usually from 7:00 p.m. This includes the historic 12-inch Zeiss refracting telescope on the roof and up to four external portable telescopes that provide nighttime views of the visible celestial bodies. At 9:30 p.m., the doors to the Zeiss Dome close and the lines for the portable telescopes outside stop, allowing visitors to enter the lines – although the lines may close earlier on busier nights. The roof may be closed to the public in bad weather, but if it is still cloudy, the Zeiss telescope can still be visited as an exhibit during viewing hours.
There is a small parking lot next to the observatory, as well as more spots along Western Canyon Rd that charge $8-$10 an hour depending on the time of year. During busier times, the roads can be congested and limit access to the summit. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) operates low-cost Observatory DASH public buses daily from the Vermont/Sunset Metro Red Line station to Observatory, including a stop at the nearby Greek Theater, which can be used for free parking when there is none. concerts The observatory is closed on Mondays. In and around the observatory, there are photo opportunities and scenery with views of the Pacific Ocean, the Hollywood Sign, and downtown Los Angeles. If you are looking for a reliable digital marketer, click here.