The Journey to Palomar DVD

Good historical story and courageous saga.

I was fortunate to view this last night on local PBS station and unfortunate to view this last night because this movie engaged my mind on so many levels it was difficult to fall asleep! I was unfamiliar with George Hales body of work and was astounded at his accomplishments, vision and ability to ignite so peoples imaginations and desire to reach beyond the current level of knowledge! This movie challenged me to strive for these abilities in my own life, both personal and professional and not wait for something to happen but instead become a catalyst. Thanks PBS!

Wow-- what an amazing story of a genius dreamer and doer. Where are the George Ellery Hales of today? Hale accomplished the impossible in the depths of the Great Depression-- and he lived to bring the glories of the universe to mankind via the giant telescopes of the West. Journey is a wonderful true story of what is possible when a person combines ambition, will and imagination. Well worth watching and having in your video library.

Avid backyard astronomers, we visited Mount Wilson about a year ago, but came away with no inkling of all this history. Palomar is next on the agenda, and this time we will know what we are looking at!! Thank you PBS!!!

I knew about Hale, but not about the amazing steps in building the 100 and then the 200 telescopes and the extent of his total involvement in these wonders; also the star status the projects had in the world at the time. Its sad that Hale never saw his 200 telescope completed, but he has given this world the wonder of the universe. A asteroid, a crater on the moon and Mars and of course, the telescope at Palomar, are all named after him. His ideas were built by amazing men who, before they had lazers or other modern instruments, were able to work in steel and glass with tolerances of one millionth inch..in the last polishing steps on the 200 lens they were using their thumbs to polish the glass! This is one of the most amazing tales of two wonders of the world and the impact they had on our world. Well worth buying to support PBS and give yourself a jolt of pride in mankind in an age where there are few heroes of this magnitude anymore.

I was fortunate to recently see a pre-screening of this film at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. While the story is named for the building of the Palomar Observatory, it is in actuality the story of George Hale, the person responsible for the building of the worlds 4 largest telescopes at the time. His life story, and the story revolving around the creation of these giant telescopes, is told in fine fashion in this film. If you have even a fleeting interest in the history of science in the United States, this is a film thats not to be missed.

If you enjoy History and Science, this is the episode for you. Best of the best.

In depth, informative, interesting history of the conception, planning, development, and implementation of George Hales dream: The Palomar Telescope.

so incredibly interesting and well done. I was glued to the set.

Very enjoyable and educational. I didnt know very much about Hale but now I do. Thanks for the information.