What to Know
- Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome at Mount Wilson Observatory
- The season opens on May 19 with "Celestial Strings in the Dome"
- $60; buying your ticket online is highly recommended, though there may be some availability at the door
The universe-scanning landmark that has perched over Pasadena for a century-plus now is well-known for lots of amazing things, including, most recently, the fact that it had a view of the Northern Lights.
Not much of Southern California did, but those who happened to be at Mount Wilson Observatory on the night of May 10 captured some colorful images of the rare atmospheric event, which was caused geomagnetic storms on the sun.
Call it yet another amazing moment at the observatory, which has experienced many major milestones, from digging into the mysteries of spiral nebulae to visits from luminaries like Albert Einstein.
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But don't be blue if you didn't catch the aurora borealis event of May 2024. You can still call upon the observatory for an afternoon of uplifting music that possesses a "celestial" vibe.
Think of it as an exercise of finding your own inner aurora, one lilting note at a time.
We are, of course, starshining over Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Dome, the live music performances that take place, during the warmer months, in the dome created for the famous 100-inch telescope.
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The first one of the 2024 season tunes up on May 19, and its name — "Celestial Strings in the Dome" — tells the sparkly story.
Cellist Cécilia Tsan and harpist Marcia Dickson will play the daytime show, which will include selections by Antonio Vivaldi and John Williams, as well as other iconic composers.
The incredible acoustics are often cited, rightly — it isn't often we can enjoy live music in a super-spacious dome — but let's also acknowledge how ethereal it is to sit in a space-searching spot as we roam our own inner worlds with a stellar soundtrack as inspiration.
You may, in short, create an interior aurora of your own, full of color and wonder. Who knows? A sublime concert can do that for many people, especially when the setting is also sublime.
We won't pluck these strings any longer: These concerts are popular and you'll want to buy your $60 admission in advance (there may be some at the door, but the shows might sell out).
Also, be sure to check the directions on the observatory site before heading up the mountain.
And do peruse the full 2024 schedule, which has more concerts that may prompt the formation of our inner auroras coming right up.
