180
9 Mount Wilson
Fig. 9.7 Kapteyn and his wife at the tent on Mount Wilson, where they lived during
their visit in 1909. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen
on October 25th. That means that they had been away from home together
for about four months.
The Kapteyns lived on Mount Wilson, close to the telescopes. In 1909 this
was still in a tent (see Fig. 9.7). Their supplies had to be brought from below;
if there was a need for something, their request was taken down and the items
were brought up as soon as possible. It is unlikely that they went to Pasadena
on their own, because the journey along Mount Wilson Toll Road took quite
some time. The tent would not have been very comfortable. A lot of the daily
activities had to be done in the open air, which generally was not a big problem
because of the climate. They did have problems with flies and the like. But
after that first trip, a special small house was built for them, which was ready
for them when they arrived in 1910 (see Fig. 9.8).
It was a big improvement. In Hertzsprung–Kapteyn’s biography [1] the cottage is described as a big surprise, which the Kapteyns found waited for them
upon arrival. In the correspondence between Hale and Kapteyn, however, Hale
had already at some stage reported that its construction was progressing satisfactorily. It remained a small accommodation with a minimum of facilities. It
had no running water or a bath. There was no desk or workplace for Kapteyn
and it is likely that he had to rely on the facilities of the ‘Monastery’, the home
of the Pasadena astronomers who came to use the telescopes and where presumably Kapteyn had stayed during his visit in 1908. There was heating, which was
9 Mount Wilson
Fig. 9.7 Kapteyn and his wife at the tent on Mount Wilson, where they lived during
their visit in 1909. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen
on October 25th. That means that they had been away from home together
for about four months.
The Kapteyns lived on Mount Wilson, close to the telescopes. In 1909 this
was still in a tent (see Fig. 9.7). Their supplies had to be brought from below;
if there was a need for something, their request was taken down and the items
were brought up as soon as possible. It is unlikely that they went to Pasadena
on their own, because the journey along Mount Wilson Toll Road took quite
some time. The tent would not have been very comfortable. A lot of the daily
activities had to be done in the open air, which generally was not a big problem
because of the climate. They did have problems with flies and the like. But
after that first trip, a special small house was built for them, which was ready
for them when they arrived in 1910 (see Fig. 9.8).
It was a big improvement. In Hertzsprung–Kapteyn’s biography [1] the cottage is described as a big surprise, which the Kapteyns found waited for them
upon arrival. In the correspondence between Hale and Kapteyn, however, Hale
had already at some stage reported that its construction was progressing satisfactorily. It remained a small accommodation with a minimum of facilities. It
had no running water or a bath. There was no desk or workplace for Kapteyn
and it is likely that he had to rely on the facilities of the ‘Monastery’, the home
of the Pasadena astronomers who came to use the telescopes and where presumably Kapteyn had stayed during his visit in 1908. There was heating, which was