Climax Observatory and the Sacramento Peak Solar Observatory

Donald Menzel of Harvard College Observatory had been instrumental in establishing the solar observatory at Climax, Colorado, or more properly the Climax observing station of Harvard College Observatory, in 1940. Unfortunately it soon became clear to Menzel and Walter Roberts, a former student of Menzel and the station's superintendent, that this Climax station suffered from long periods of cloudiness, especially during the winter. Consequently they concluded that a second solar observatory should be built as soon as possible after the Second World War had ended.(1)

At about the same time H. H. (Hap) Arnold, the commanding general of the U S Army Air Forces (AAF), had asked his scientific advisor Theodore Von Karman to draw up a long-range research and development plan for the AAF after the war. Arnold had been particularly interested for some time in meteorology, especially as it affected the air force. So it was no great surprise to find that Von Karman included, in his proposed long-range plan, research into the influence of the Sun on the Earth's ionosphere and atmosphere. Arnold and the AAF were not only interested in the effect of the Sun on the ionosphere and radio communications, but also its effect on the upper atmosphere through which guided missiles and supersonic aircraft would travel.

After the war Menzel happened to meet Marcus O'Day of the AAF's Cambridge Field Station who had been given responsibility for upper atmospheric research using captured V2 rockets. During discussions O'Day told Menzel that he also had access to funding to set up a ground-based solar observatory. As a result O'Day mentioned that there was a possibility that the Air Force might be able to support his proposed solar observatory. This case for support would be significantly strengthened if a suitable location could be found on the Sacramento Mountain Range close to the White Sands Proving Grounds from which O'Day was planning to launch his V2s.

In the meantime, following a proposal from Menzel and Roberts, in 1946 the Climax observatory became an independent research institution in its own right.(2) Called the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) it was affiliated with Harvard University and the University of Colorado with Roberts as its first director.(3) Its headquarters were at Colorado's Boulder campus.