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done, what had been requested, and what had been suffered in those early
years high up on the ridge of Izaña.
Here are a few extracts of what I wrote in 1963, bearing the title 'Report on
problems of personnel, installations, accommodation, and services'. This document provides a very graphic snapshot of the situation in those early days:
The rooms we are using are the best at the Meteorological Observatory; however, severe drafts enter through the doors and windows. When it rains, not only
does the rain stream in through the windows but it also dampens the thick walls
of the building, and it can take months for the damp to dissipate. The result is
that there are rooms with permanently damp walls throughout the winter. …
The dome housing the equatorial is not suited to the winter climate at this altitude. Snow enters and covers the floor with centimetres of snow. The walls are
beginning to crumble and are completely damp. In these conditions the equipment deteriorates rapidly. … The equatorial needs to be overhauled and
realigned by a specialist. Faults and a number of odd things have been detected
in the clocks, tracking, lighting, and optics.
Fig. 6.2 Mary Almeida (right) and the author at the doorway the dome of the telescope used for measuring atmospheric turbulence (the telescope had been purchased
from an amateur astronomer). The balaclavas were for fending off the freezing conditions. (Credit: F. Sánchez)
F. Sánchez
done, what had been requested, and what had been suffered in those early
years high up on the ridge of Izaña.
Here are a few extracts of what I wrote in 1963, bearing the title 'Report on
problems of personnel, installations, accommodation, and services'. This document provides a very graphic snapshot of the situation in those early days:
The rooms we are using are the best at the Meteorological Observatory; however, severe drafts enter through the doors and windows. When it rains, not only
does the rain stream in through the windows but it also dampens the thick walls
of the building, and it can take months for the damp to dissipate. The result is
that there are rooms with permanently damp walls throughout the winter. …
The dome housing the equatorial is not suited to the winter climate at this altitude. Snow enters and covers the floor with centimetres of snow. The walls are
beginning to crumble and are completely damp. In these conditions the equipment deteriorates rapidly. … The equatorial needs to be overhauled and
realigned by a specialist. Faults and a number of odd things have been detected
in the clocks, tracking, lighting, and optics.
Fig. 6.2 Mary Almeida (right) and the author at the doorway the dome of the telescope used for measuring atmospheric turbulence (the telescope had been purchased
from an amateur astronomer). The balaclavas were for fending off the freezing conditions. (Credit: F. Sánchez)
F. Sánchez