The La Posta Astro-Geophysical Observatory was a Navy Electronics Laboratory radio-telescope installation at Campo, CA, US. Construction began in 1964 at a site in the Laguna Mountains, 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of San Diego. It is being dismantled as of November 2015.

History

The observatory played a major role in solar radio mapping, studies of environmental disturbances, and development of a solar optical videometer for microwave research. Its 60-foot dish, which could both transmit and receive, was used for important research programs in propagation and ionospheric forecasting which were used during a number of Apollo space launches to predict

solar Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

activity that might hamper communications from the ground to the space capsules. The building located at the lower right of the dish housed a turbine-powered alternator used to provide power for the dish operation. There was insufficient power available from the national grid. In addition, the dish was computer controlled by an operator located in the building below the dish. The dish movements were monitored by close-circuit television. The observatory was decommissioned in 1986. The large dish physically remained unused until it was dismantled in late 2015; the surrounding site is now used as a Naval Weapons Training Facility.http://legacy.utsandiego.com/news/military/20040313-9999-news_7m13laposta.html

Nicknames

Local residents referred to the unused, upwards-pointing, dish as "the Pterodactyl Birdbath".

References

Astronomical observatories in California Buildings and structures in San Diego County, California {{US-observatory-stub

History

Nicknames

See also

References