Today in History - 1904

It was at Martin's camp on the Mount Wilson trail that George Ellery Hale received the news that the Carnegie Board had approved his plans for the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory (the word ``Solar'' was dropped with the completion of the 100-inch telescope in 1917). What the future held, only Hale could have imagined. Already, even before the Snow telescope was completed, he had discussed with Adams plans for the next solar telescope, one with a ``high tower and no tube'' and in his typical straightforward manner, climbed a tree with a telescope to test the seeing conditions such a telescope would enjoy.