My Visit to the Griffith Observatory

A Close Look at the Logistics of Terrestrial

and Celestial Observation

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We arrived to the observatory and the first thing I saw was the astronomer’s monument in the middle of the yard in front of the building. The newly restored concrete sculpture commemorates six successful astronomers, Hipparchus, Nicholas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, and William Herschel. It’s important to remember those who established the foundations of Astronomy. The statue is a nice introduction to the observatory since it reminds the viewers of people who utilized observatories to change the history of science.

• The next thing I saw was the Solar System Lawn Model which was installed in front of the concrete sculpture. Scaled bronze lines represent the angle and length of orbits of each of the planets in our solar system. Each of the orbits are properly scaled around the sun which lies in the middle. The model is roughly 110 billion times smaller than that of the actual solar system. It offers an interesting visual representation of the spatial relationship between planets, giving the viewer an overview of what is seen in the observatory.

• The hilltop view offered a great look into the Hollywood Hills as well as the rest of Los Angeles, shimmering in the beautiful California sun. The location provided a great view of the sky due to its elevation and distance from nearby mountains. I can only imagine how perfect stargazing is once the sun goes down.