Chris L Peterson wrote:
On 29 Nov 2006 07:51:28 -0800, "Tom Polakis"
wrote:


"Smoking is very strictly forbidden in the prime focus cage, for
obvious reasons. However the cage always reeked of cigarette smoke
after Minkowsky had been in it, though it was difficult to work out
what he was doing with the cigarette ends. The night assistants worked
out he was throwing them onto the main mirror."


It could be worse. My astronomy advisor at Caltech once dropped a 40
pound astrocamera from the prime focus cage. He was hugely lucky that a
guy wire deflected it as it fell, and it missed the mirror. It could
have done huge damage. I believe he was disinvited from future use of
the Hale, and afterwards became a well respected solar astronomer.


Despite being barred from the McMath.... ;)