About Mount Wilson Observatory

This web site is designed for optimal viewing with the Netscape 3 browser. Our pages utilize Java, JavaScript, and frames technologies supported by the Netscape browser. However, our pages are designed for the consideration that you may use other browsers, so Netscape is not a requirement. Also, prior versions of Netscape will support our pages, as well as text based browsers, although without support for some features.

[This site was made using Macintosh computers.]

Frames

Frames allow multiple pages of HTML to be loaded concurrently onto the browser screen in separate sections to permit more creative page layout.

The Virtual Tour uses frames extensively throughout.
The Science section uses frames to provide a stable menu across the bottom of the screen.

Java

Java is a cross platform compatible programming language which allows the creation of small programs (called "applets") which can be integrated directly into web pages to provide interactive content.

The Gift Shop has an image preloader which invisibly preloads images for the item subpages while the viewer views the main gift shop page, so that when the viewer calls for a subpage its images don't have to take any additional time to download.
The Virtual Tour and the Science section feature a specially designed image map applet which enables the clickable map of the observatory to provide descriptive text on the client status bar.

JavaScript

JavaScript allows the integration of active behaviors into HTML based web pages.

The icons on the home page have attached Javascript code to provide information about their respective sections of the site on the browser status bar when the pointer is positioned on them.

Ray Tracing

Ray Tracing is a technique of graphics creation which yields photo-realistic images with proper perspective and smooth motion.

The title image was rendered as a collection of over 30,000 tiny glass subparts lit with a collection of 18 light sources to provide the appearance of lighting from the surrounding sun and galaxy images. Post processing was performed in Photoshop to brighten the colors.
The animated dome was rendered as a series of 10 frames. Post processing was performed to give the frames a transparent background and to create the animated GIF89 file.
The Tour's control buttons were rendered in 3D, followed by resizing and extensive post-processing in Photoshop. The arrow buttons were merely resized and their colors were enhanced for clarity. The other control buttons were rendered as blanks and their respective function images were added in the post processing before resizing and color correction.
The Historical Section has a rendered background image of wood as well as rendered brass controls.
The What's New page features rendered art-deco style lighting sconses and control buttons.
The Gift Shop has a rendered rotating sign and rendered meta-buttons with rotating hula-hoops.

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