Today marks the 75th anniversary of "first light" for the the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Caltech's Palomar Observatory near San Diego. On January 26, 1949,

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Today marks the 75th anniversary of "first light" for the the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Caltech's Palomar Observatory near San Diego. On January 26, 1949, renowned astronomer Edwin Hubble took the telescope's first picture, a celebratory moment in astronomy known as first light. The image, which shows a billowing nebula dotted with stars, marked the start of what was to be the world's largest effective optical telescope for the next 44 years.
Seen here:
The 200-inch Hale Telescope dome at night
Edwin Hubble sits inside the prime focus cage of the telescope, 1949
The Hale Telescope's first-light image, taken by Edwin Hubble in 1949
Astronomer loading the plateholder inside the 200-inch telescope prime focus cage, 1956
The dedication ceremony under the 200-inch telescope, 1948
Image of the M1 Crab Nebula
Read about the history, construction, and impact of the Palomar Observatory in a wonderful #longread on Caltech News: https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/75-years-later-palomar-observatory-still-shaping-astronomy?utm_medium=social-organic&utm_campaign=institute-news&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=&utm_term=