Griffith Observatory, September, 2006.

Griffith Observatory is located in Los Angeles, California, United States. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park, it commands a view of 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 that features an extensive array of space- and science-related displays. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the peninsular and transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles. ... Skyline of downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue... This article is about scientific observatories. ... Space has been an interest for philosophers and scientists for much of human history. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ...

History

View from a trail in Griffith Park from the south, looking north.

The land on which the observatory stands was donated to the City of Los Angeles by Col. Griffith J. Griffith in 1896. In his will, Griffith donated funds to build an observatory, exhibit hall, and planetarium on the donated land. Construction began on June 20, 1933 using a design developed by architect John C. Austin based on preliminary sketches by Russell W. Porter. The observatory and accompanying exhibits were opened to the public on May 14, 1935. In its first five days of operation the observatory logged more than 13,000 visitors. Dinsmore Alter was the museum's director during its first years. A wild fire in the hills came dangerously close to the observatory on May 10, 2007.^[1] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3248x2160, 2313 KB) A view of the south elevation of the Griffith Observatory, taken from the Fern Dell trail. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3248x2160, 2313 KB) A view of the south elevation of the Griffith Observatory, taken from the Fern Dell trail. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Griffith Jenkins Griffith (January 4, 1805–July 6, 1919) was an American immigrant from Wales who made millions in a mining syndicate in the 1880s. ... For the song by Ai Otsuka, see Planetarium (song) // A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Porter Garden Telescope, designed by Porter as a garden feature, much like a sundial. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Dinsmore Alter (March 28, 1888–September 20, 1968) was an American astronomer and meteorologist. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Exhibits

The first exhibit visitors encountered in 1935 was the Foucault pendulum, which was designed to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. The exhibits also included a twelve-inch Zeiss telescope, a solar telescope, and a thirty-eight foot relief model of the moon's north polar region. Foucaults Pendulum in the Panthéon, Paris. ... Carl Zeiss in middle age. ...

The Griffith Observatory after renevations, June 2007.

Col. Griffith requested that the observatory include a display on evolution which was accomplished with the Cosmochron exhibit which included a narration from Caltech Professor Chester Stock and an accompanying slide show. The evolution exhibit existed from 1937 to the mid 1960s. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 742 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1242 × 1003 pixel, file size: 134 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Griffith Observatory after renovations, June 2007. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 742 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1242 × 1003 pixel, file size: 134 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Griffith Observatory after renovations, June 2007. ... For other uses, see June (disambiguation). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (commonly known as Caltech) is a private, coeducational university located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. ...

Also included in the original design was a planetarium. The first shows covered topics including the Moon, worlds of the solar system, and eclipses. This article is about the Solar System. ...

Mad Systems, the Orange, California based audio-visual consultancy and integration company, developed all the audio-visual equipment for the over 60 exhibits as well as the telluria and the magic boxes.

During World War II the planetarium was used to train pilots in celestial navigation. The planetarium was again used for this purpose in the 1960s to train Apollo program astronauts for the first lunar missions. This article is about the series of human spaceflight missions. ...

The planetarium theater was renovated in 1964 and a Mark IV Zeiss projector was installed. Carl Zeiss in middle age. ...

Renovation and expansion

A model showing the new underground exhibits

The observatory closed in 2002 for renovation and a major expansion of exhibit space. It reopened to the public on November 3, 2006, retaining its art deco exterior. The $93 million renovation, paid largely by a public bond issue, restored the building, as well as replaced the aging planetarium dome. The building was expanded underground, with completely new exhibits [1], a café, gift shop, and the new Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater[2]. The café is one of the many cafés run by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. One wall inside the building is covered with the largest astronomically accurate image ever constructed (152 feet long by 20 feet high), called "The Big Picture", depicting the Virgo Cluster of galaxies; visitors can explore the highly detailed image from within arm's reach or through telescopes 60 feet away. [3] The 1964-vintage Zeiss Mark IV star projector was replaced with a Zeiss Mark IX Universarium [4]. The former planetarium projector is part of the underground exhibit on ways in which humanity has visualized the skies. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1119x1134, 101 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Griffith Observatory ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1119x1134, 101 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Griffith Observatory ... is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Asheville City Hall. ... Leonard Simon Nimoy (born March 26, 1931) is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. ... In its strictest sense, a celebrity chef is a someone who has become well-known for his/her cooking. ... Wolfgang Johann Puck (born Wolfgang Johann Topfschnig on July 8, 1949) is an Austrian-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and businessman based in Los Angeles. ... A sky field near some of the brighter galaxies in the Virgo cluster. ...

View of L.A. from behind the Observatory, taken during renovations

Since the observatory opened in 1935, admission has been free, in accordance with Griffith's will. Admission to the museum continues to be free. However, to accommodate crowds expected in the wake of its reopening, the observatory has implemented a reservations-only system, which allows visitors to make timed-entry reservations online or by telephone[5]. Visitors will not be able to park at the observatory for the first few months to a year after the reopening. Instead, they must park at the Griffith Observatory Satellite Reservations Center adjacent to the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park, or hike or bicycle to the observatory. Shuttles run every 20 minutes from the parking area to the observatory. Timed-entry is enforced when traveling to the observatory, but attendees may take return shuttles at any time. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A summer crowd of the LA Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo is a large zoo located in Los Angeles, California. ...

General reservations for the shuttle are $8, seniors 60+ and children 5-12, $4. Children under 5 are free, but are admitted to only the first planetarium show of the day. Tickets for the show Centered in the Universe in the 290-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium Theater are purchased separately at the box office within the observatory. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Only members of the observatory's support group, Friends Of The Observatory [6], may reserve tickets for the planetarium show. Centered in the Universe is a fulldome presentation that premiered the evening of October 29, 2006 at the Galactic Gala which marked the reopening of the renovated Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. ...

Centered in the Universe features a high-resolution immersive video projected by an innovative laser system developed by Evans and Sutherland Corporation, along with a short night sky simulation projected by the Zeiss Universarium. A team of animators worked more than two years to create the 30-minute program. Actors, holding a glowing orb, perform the presentation, under the direction of Chris Shelton. Centered in the Universe is a fulldome presentation that premiered the evening of October 29, 2006 at the Galactic Gala which marked the reopening of the renovated Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. ... Evans & Sutherland is a computer firm involved in the computer graphics field. ...

Filming location

Lego model of Griffith Observatory at Legoland California

Film

The observatory was featured in a number of scenes in the James Dean film Rebel Without a Cause; a bust of James Dean was subsequently placed at the west side of the grounds. It has appeared several movies- Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 870 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A miniature replica of Griffith Observatory made of lego bricks I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 870 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A miniature replica of Griffith Observatory made of lego bricks I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... For other uses, see Lego (disambiguation). ... Legoland California is the third LEGOLAND park, that is located in Carlsbad, California. ... For the film, see James Dean (film). ... Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 film directed by Nicholas Ray that tells the story of a rebellious teenager who comes to a new town, meets a girl, defies his parents, and faces the local high school bullies. ... Bust of Richard Bently by Roubiliac A bust is a sculpture depicting a persons chest, shoulders, and head, usually supported by a stand. ...

• "The Terminator"
• "The Rocketeer"
• "The End of Violence"
• "Bowfinger"
• "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle"
• "House on Haunted Hill" (1999 remake)
• "Queen of the Damned"
• "Transformers" (2007 live-action film)

Television

• It was used in several episodes of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E".
• Several scenes in the Star Trek: Voyager two-part episode "Future's End" took place at the observatory and were filmed there.
• It is also apparently where MacGyver lives in the pilot episode of the TV series MacGyver.
• The observatory has also been duplicated as Springfield's Observatory in The Simpsons.
• 

  The Amity Park Observatory in Danny Phantom, modeled off The Griffith Observatory.
  With a few modifications in Danny Phantom as the Amity Park Observatory.
• The character Jim Phelps once received his mission briefing at the observatory in the espionage television show Mission: Impossible. The Observatory was the main external scene for the opening pilot episode for the Mission Impossible series.
• The observatory and its premises also served as a filming location for an episode of the television series The Wonder Years.
• The Griffith Observatory was also the filming location for the Angel episode "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been".^[2]
• One of its earliest TV appearances was in the opening credits of "Rocky Jones: Space Ranger," where the title character arrived in a stylish English sports car, ready to battle evil.
• Brief establishing stock clips of the observatory also appeared in Adventures of Superman from time to time, including in the first episode, where it was used to depict Jor-El's laboratory on Superman's home planet, Krypton.

Other Media

• Was a filming location for the music video for "Rush Rush" by Paula Abdul which starred Keanu Reeves and was directed by George Lucas.

This article is about the first film in the series. ... The Rocketeer is a 1991 superhero adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures/Touchstone Pictures[1] and directed by Joe Johnston. ... The End of Violence is a 1997 film by the internationally renowned German director Wim Wenders. ... The Middle Finger gesture (possibly offensive) The finger, as in giving someone the finger, known variously as the one-finger salute, the highway salute, flicking (someone) off, flipping (someone) off, flipping the bird, showing someone the middle finger, digital signalling, Thumbs up plus 2, or the Trudeau salute (in Canada... House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 horror film. ... This article is about the year. ... In film, a remake is a newer version of a previously released film or a newer version of the source (play, novel, story, etc. ... Queen of the Damned is a 2002 film adaptation of the third novel of Anne Rices The Vampire Chronicles series, The Queen of the Damned; although the film contained many plot elements from that novels predecessor, The Vampire Lestat. ... For the 1986 animated film, see The Transformers: The Movie. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by human actors, as opposed to animation. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... MacGyver is an American adventure television series, produced in Canada, about a laid-back, extremely resourceful secret agent, played by Richard Dean Anderson. ... // Look up Springfield in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Amity Park is the name of a fictional town in the Nickelodeon animated television series Danny Phantom. ... Danny Phantom is an American childrens dbz created by Leopold for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. ... Danny Phantom is an American childrens dbz created by Leopold for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. ... Amity Park is the name of a fictional town in the Nickelodeon animated television series Danny Phantom. ... Peter Lupus, Barbara Bain, Peter Graves, who played Jim Phelps, Martin Landau and Greg Morris Mission: Impossible Dossier (book cover} Jim Phelps is a fictional character of the television program Mission: Impossible. ... Spy and Secret agent redirect here. ... Mission: Impossible is the name of an American television series which aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to September 1973. ... The Wonder Years is an Emmy Award-winning American television dramedy created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. ... For the South Korean TV series of the same name, see Angel (2007 TV series). ... Are You Now or Have You Ever Been is episode 2 of season 2 in the television show Angel. ... This article is about the television series. ... Jor-El is a fictional character who appears in the Superman comics published by DC Comics. ... Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Rush Rush was the first single off of Paula Abduls second album, Spellbound. ... Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American multi-platinum selling Grammy Award-winning singer, dancer, television personality, jewelry designer, and Emmy Award-winning choreographer. ... Beirut, Lebanon Years active 1985 – Present Keanu Charles Reeves (pronounced in IPA: ) is an actor, born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

Popular culture references

Comics

The James Dean memorial at the Griffith Observatory is an important landmark for the teenage superheroes of the Marvel Comics series, Runaways. This article is about the comic book company. ... For other uses, see Runaways (disambiguation). ...

In Bill Griffith's comic strip Zippy the Pinhead, the cynical Griffy can occasionally be found in Griffith Observatory, aiming its telescope down into the valley to afford himself a view of the comings and goings in Hollywood. Zippy the Pinhead is the main character in the comic strip of the same name, created by Bill Griffith. ...

Video games

In the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas video game this landmark is featured and is identical to the real life Griffith Observatory. The observatory is a playable area in the Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines video game, unfortunately being ruined by a werewolf and destroyed by fire. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ... Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a role-playing computer game played from the first-person shooter perspective and is developed by Troika Games using Valve Softwares Source engine. ...

Other

A Lego model of this building is on permanent exhibit at Legoland California in the Southern California section of Miniland. It has also been featured in the comic strip "Spiderman." [7] For other uses, see Lego (disambiguation). ... Legoland California is the third LEGOLAND park, that is located in Carlsbad, California. ...

Gallery

The Griffith Observatory, April 2007 Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1067 pixel, file size: 198 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...	Los Angeles at night, taken from the roof. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (4368x2912, 1052 KB) Took it last night. ...	View of Downtown Los Angeles from the telescope. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1,008 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...	Architecture closeup, taken after the renovation. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1,003 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
Panorama of Los Angeles and Griffith Observatory viewed from the Hollywood Hills. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (4128x1132, 951 KB) Summary Los Angeles and Griffin Observatory, as viewed from the Hollywood Hills. ...	View of the Hollywood Sign on a clear day. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Hollywood sign as it appears today. ...	Lawn at entrance and Griffith Park trails, looking north from atop the observatory. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...	View looking eastward, with south Griffith Park and Eagle Rock Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Eagle Rock Eagle Rock is a neighborhood in northeastern Los Angeles, California. ...
View of the Los Angeles Basin looking south, with Little Armenia in the center. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...	Astronomers Monument in front of north door. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1067 × 1600 pixel, file size: 199 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...	Foucault Pendulum in the center of W. M. Keck Foundation Central Rotunda. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1067 × 1600 pixel, file size: 194 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Foucaults Pendulum in the Panthéon, Paris. ...

See also

• Dinsmore Alter
• Ed Krupp
• Laura Danly
• Don Dixon (artist)

Dinsmore Alter (March 28, 1888–September 20, 1968) was an American astronomer and meteorologist. ... Edwin C. Krupp is an American astronomer and the director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles since 1974. ... Laura Danly, Ph. ... Born in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1951, Don Dixon is an astronomical artist practicing space art in the tradition of Chesley Bonestell, who believed that scientific accuracy is a fundamental aspect of the esthetic of this genre. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Griffith Observatory

• Griffith Observatory Home Page
• Friends Of The Observatory
• collection of articles on the observatory at the LA Times
• Live Lecturers sent into a Black Hole by Danny King at Bloomberg News
• Make Astronomers the Stars Op/Ed by Margaret Wertheim in the LA Times
• Acting Up at Griffith Observatory
• Griffith Observatory: Entertainment, Education or Both?
• Light Pollution in L.A. Area
• Review of "Centered in the Universe"
• The Big Picture Website
• LACMTA Video of the Griffith Observatory
• Article about "Centered in the Universe" at Arroyo Monthly
• Griffith Park Observatory photographed from a flying helicopter.
• Goodbye Griffith (Laserium leaves the Observatory)
• Audio Visual Systems and Interactive Exhibits at the Griffith Observatory

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Los Angeles Times (also L.A. Times) is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California and distributed throughout the Western United States. ... Bloomberg Television is a cable television network that broadcasts business and financial news 24 hours a day. ... The Los Angeles Times (also L.A. Times) is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California and distributed throughout the Western United States. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/09/la.fire/index.html
2. ^ TV Locations - part 7. Gary Wayne. Retrieved on 2007-08-04.

Coordinates: 34°7′7.83″N, 118°18′1.26″W Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...