Mount Wilson (California) a new Mt. Wilson Hotel. In 1908 a 60-inch (1524 mm) telescope was completed at the summit, and in 1910 the Solar Tower was erected. In 1913 the hotel burned down and was replaced by a second hotel that lasted until its demolition in 1966. The Toll Road opened to automobiles in 1912 and lasted until 1936. In 1917, the 100-inch Hooker Telescope was completed and saw first light and would be the world's largest telescope until the opening of the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory in 1948. In 1919, American astronomer Edwin Hubble arrived at Mt. Wilson and,
Lovell Telescope up by a household radio, the Lovell Telescope was the only telescope capable of tracking Sputnik's booster rocket by radar; it first located it just before midnight on 12 October 1957. It also located Sputnik 2's carrier rocket at just after midnight on 16 November 1957. The telescope also took part in some of the early work on satellite communication. In February and March 1963, the telescope transmitted signals via the moon and Echo II, a NASA balloon satellite at 750 km (466 mi) altitude, to the Zimenki Observatory in the USSR. Some signals were also relayed from the USA