We rented a pontoon boat powered by an outboard motor today, and took a tour around about half of Big Bear Lake. This is the Big Bear Solar Observatory which we can see from our deck and I wanted to get a closer look at it so we motored over near it. An amazing looking observatory. It is located out in the lake because that way when the sun heats the ground and causes air currents to rise, it degrades the view of a telescope like this. So if you build it out in the lake, you get better images of the sun.
This is our view of the lake from the deck of the home we are renting. You can see the observatory as a small dot in the distance in the line between the trees and the water, on the right hand side of the photograph. A beautiful, relaxing view.
And this was our view after sunset today, of the lake and the docks. We met two of our neighbors from next door, a mother and daughter and their family has owned a home on the lake for years. It was so nice to talk to people who have lived here and get to ask questions about the history here.
4 comments:
Looks gorgeous and so relaxing. Enjoy your stay.
Joan
Beautiful! You are so blessed to be able to see it all and enjoy!
Riding around on a pontoon boat was a great idea so you can take a look around. Startling to see the Observatory in the middle of the lake! Nice contrasting photos of daytime and nighttime views of the lake. Love the soft hues of the sky against the dark land. Betsey
Hey Ken! I believe the BBSO is operated by New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a very unique telescope! Plus, mirror was polished at the Steward Mirror Lab! Too bad you couldn’t finagle a tour - I’ve been thru it a couple times - offered while attending Riverside Telescope Makers Conference nearby, though now defunct…
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