WILSON LOOKING FOR VISITORS OFFICIALS AT MOUNTAINTOP OBSERVATORY FRET OVER DROP IN TOURISM.

Byline: Becky Oskin Staff Writer

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - The Mount Wilson Observatory has stood sentinel over Southern California for nearly 100 years.

A small cadre of astronomers work there year-round, drawn by the stable, chaparral-scented air. The inversion layer that traps smog above Los Angeles also produces some of the best ``seeing'' in the world, meaning there's little air turbulence to distort sunlight or starlight.

But the once-popular tourist stop has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of visitors who want to tour the telescope or simply take in the view. Observatory officials blame the U.S. Forest Service, saying rangers have done a poor job maintaining public facilities on the site.

``Astronomy is good for getting young people interested in science and encouraging the public to understand science,'' said Charles Townes, a UC Berkeley professor and Nobel laureate who directs an observatory interferometer used to measure stars. ``Mount Wilson is a very important place for observing and for public education, so it's important it is well-maintained.''

It took a threat from an East Coast congressman to draw attention to the observatory's plight. Citing neglected brush and tree clearance, an empty 300,000-gallon water tank needed to fight fires, locked bathrooms and ignored repairs, Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., proposed ceding the 110 acres surrounding the observatory from the Forest Service to the nonprofit Mount Wilson Institute.

The transfer was an extreme solution - one unlikely to ever pass Congress - but those who care for the observatory say the move brought needed attention to long-standing problems.

``Our complaints would just fall on deaf ears,'' said site manager Sean Hoss.

Forest Service spokeswoman Gail Wright has said her office never received complaints from observatory staff, a statement Hoss disputes.

In 1999, then-Rep. James Rogan sent a letter to the Forest Service directing them to address seven maintenance issues, but it was only this month that one - the bathrooms - was finally finished, Hoss said.

Scientists say the maintenance issues have even affected their ability to study the stars.

For astronomer Laird Thompson, a University of Illinois professor who lives at Mount Wilson half the year, the problem is too many tress.

Using eight decades of records from the 100-inch telescope, Thompson and colleague Scott Tear of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology say they can prove pines growing close to the telescope distort the air and disrupt their research.

The Forest Service won't allow them to cut the pines, which didn't exist when the telescope was built, Thompson said.

The trees also produce sticky pollen that coats the huge 100-inch mirror at the telescope's base, said Art Vaughan, a retired JPL astronomer/engineer and founding chairman of the Mount Wilson Institute.

But the final straw was neglected brush clearance and dead trees that threatened to torch the observatory should a fire break out. Fear of losing the historic observatory finally pushed the institute's directors to seek help in Washington, D.C.

In the weeks since Peterson's transfer proposal hit the news, the Forest Service has made significant changes. They've felled dead trees, trimmed branches, repaired potholes and patched stone retaining walls. The bathrooms are not only unlocked, they have full soap dispensers, and the water tank is slowly being refilled.

But despite the Forest Service's promises, many at the observatory worry lack of funding and staff may keep the Forest Service from fixing every complaint.

``I applaud the Forest Service for what they've been able to do over the last couple weeks. I just hope they keep doing it,'' said JPL engineer Gil Clark, who runs the Telescopes in Education program for teachers and students.

For while those who work at the observatory have concerns about fire and falling trees, what they seem to want most is the public to return.

``It's really important to have the public be aware of the resources sitting above them. If we're not bringing people up, we're not doing ourselves any favors,'' Tear said.

FUN FACTS

Founded by George Ellery Hale, a scientist who helped revolutionize astronomy, the Mount Wilson Observatory has played an important scientific role since it opened in 1904.

Originally built with one telescope to study the sun, a host of telescopes, towers and instruments now dots the Mount Wilson plateau. Here's a breakdown of the observatory's instruments:

--The Hooker 100-inch telescope, named for its donor, was the largest telescope in the world from 1917-48. A laser optics system to be completed next month will make the telescope nearly as sharp as the Hubble Space Telescope.

--A 60-inch telescope, built in 1908, is used for visual observing and special projects.

--The Berkeley Infrared Spatial Interferometer is three telescopes mounted in a truck trailer. It measures stars and their surrounding materials by recording infrared (heat) radiation. It was built in 1988 under the direction of Nobel Laureate Charles Townes, co-inventor of the laser.

--The recently completed CHARA Array consists of six telescopes built by Georgia State University. Arranged in a Y configuration, it collects visible light and infrared wavelengths to see details of stars and regions near them.

--A 60-foot solar tower, built in 1908. USC uses it to study the sun's interior by measuring sunquakes, which are similar to earthquakes.

--A 150-foot solar tower, built in 1910. UCLA uses it to examine the sun's magnetic field. The tower also has been used since 1917 to make daily drawings or photographs of sunspots.

--The Michelson 20-foot stellar interferometer is named for Albert Michelson, a physicist and Nobel laureate. This pioneering 1920s instrument measured the diameter of stars.

--The Snow solar telescope, the first permanent installation, is primarily an educational instrument.

IF YOU GO

The Mount Wilson Observatory is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends, with guided walking tours offered at 1 p.m. from April to October. Free group tours are available by calling [phone]. To get there, take Angeles Crest Highway out of La Canada Flintridge for 14 miles to Red Box Road. Turn right and go 5 miles. For more information, visit www.mtwilson.edu or www.mwoa.org.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) The Mount Wilson Observatory's 100-inch telescope can be seen through its open dome. The observatory, nearly a century old, is open to visitors 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends, with guided walking tours offered at 1 p.m. from April to October.

(2) Astronomer Arthur Vaughan of the Mount Wilson Institute inside the observatory's 100-inch telescope dome.

Mike Mullen/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) FUN FACTS (see text)

(2) IF YOU GO (see text)