A VORACIOUS Californian forest fire is threatening the near Los Angeles, where, nearly a century ago, Edwin Hubble made the observations that confirmed the notion of an expanding universe.
The started on 26 August. As New 杏吧原创 went to press, it had burned through some 425 square kilometres of the , destroyed buildings and led to the deaths of two firefighters.
The describes the fire鈥檚 passage across mount Wilson as 鈥渋mminent鈥�. Firefighters have evacuated their base below the observatory, although flame retardant will continue to be dropped in the area.
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of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, who uses the observatory to monitor the sun鈥檚 surface, says the fire could irreparably damage the observatory鈥檚 buildings and telescopes. Only the most recent observational data is at risk.
鈥淭he 鈥楽tation fire鈥� could irreparably damage the observatory鈥檚 buildings and telescopes鈥�