HAO History

Walter Orr Roberts stands on skis in front of the Climax solar observatory.

The history of the High Altitude Observatory began with Walter Orr Roberts and the Climax Observatory in the 1940s.  HAO's development from a small solar station on an isolated mountain top to a respected leader in the field of solar-terrestrial research is an important story in the history of science, the roots of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the city of Boulder.