Lick Observatory


The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, of the University of California, which is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, near San Jose, California.

Table of contents
1 Early History
2 Significant discoveries
3 Equipment
4 See also:
5 External link

Early History

The observatory was constructed between 1876 and 1887, from a bequest from James Lick. In 1887 Lick's body was buried under the future site of the telescope, with a brass tablet bearing the inscription, "Here lies the body of James Lick."

The 91 cm refracting telescope here was Earth's largest refracting telescope when it saw first light, January 3, 1888, until the 1897 construction of Yerkes. In April, 1888, the observatory was turned over to the University of California Regents, and became the first permanantly occupied mountain top observatory in the world. The location provided superior viewing performance due to lack of ambient light and pollution; additionally, the night air at the top of Mt. Hamilton is extremely calm, and the peak is normally above the level of fog often seen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Significant discoveries

The following astronomical objects were discovered at Lick Observatory:

Equipment

Current equipment and locations:

See also:

External link