DrKylara#FensterFreitag
Feels both retro and futuristic here at Lick Observatory. Hope it opens to the public again soon!
Daniel FischerOn February 3rd and 4th, the temporary cover for the storm-damaged 36-inch refractor telescope dome at #LickObservatory was completed: The time-lapse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEwnZ-YFEqE shows the installation of the final waterproof layer on the dome slit cover and metal flashing around the edges to ensure that wind or storms will not remove the waterproofing.
36-inch Refractor Dome Temporary Slit Cover Completion
iokevinsLick Observatory storm recovery efforts update:
https://www.lickobservatory.org/gifts/january-14-2026-update-on-storm-damage-at-lick-observatory/
January 14, 2026 Update on Storm Damage at Lick Observatory
Work to protect Lick Observatory ahead of the incoming storm has made strong progress. It’s been 20 days since the observatory experienced the worst windstorm in staff memory with gusts peaking at 114 miles per hour. The salvageability of the multi-ton shutter remains uncertain, our focus remains concentrated on emergency mitigation efforts. The drying process […]
Mary Holstege#LickObservatory needs your help:
"Early on Thursday, Dec. 25, severe winds gusting up to 114 miles per hour tore across Mount Hamilton. The multi-ton shutter section fell outward onto the roof of the Great Hall, crushing several structural beams.
The Great Refractor telescope was not damaged during the incident, but its precision lenses and electrical systems could now be vulnerable to rain."
They're looking for donations: https://give.ucsc.edu/campaigns/53679/donations/new
(Just an interested bystander)
In the DarkLick Observatory Damaged
I missed, until now, the news that on Christmas Day, high winds accompanying a violent storm seriously damaged the historic Lick Observatory.
The gales were strong enough to rip one of the shutters from the dome of the 36″ refracting telescope and send it crashing onto the roof of the adjacent building.
The Observatory remains closed to the public while the structural damage is assessed and repairs made. Fortunately it seems nobody was hurt and no instruments were affected.
Here’s a video of the detached shutter being removed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYooaiylVEg
The Lick Observatory is located on Mount Hamilton near San Jose in California. A donation by San Francisco millionaire James Lick enabled the construction of the 36” (diameter) refractor, the most powerful telescope in the world at the time. The Observatory was almost destroyed in 2020 by a wildfire, but the new incident is the most serious damage in its 137-year history.
As I blogged about here, the Lick Observatory played an important role in the development of our understanding of the large-scale structure of the Universe, specifically with the creation of the Lick galaxy survey prepared by Charles Donald Shane and Carl Alvar Wirtanen and published in 1967 (Publ. Lick. Observatory 22, Part 1). In my more poetic moments, the image on the left puts me in mind of W.B. Yeats: Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths.
That catalogue was still proving a useful resource well into the 1990s; I was part of various analyses of it myself, starting with this paper from 1991. It was eventually superceded by the arrival of large-scale galaxy redshift surveys, but it remaining an amazing achievement.
The Lick Galaxy survey was not performed with the 36″ refractor mentioned above, however, but by twin 20″ Carnegie astrographic telescopes housed in a different dome. As far as I know, these were not damaged in the storm.
And a video clip from #LickObservatory with the removal by crane of the torn-down shutter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYooaiylVEg
36" Refractor Dome Shutter Removal
A local TV report from #LickObservatory showing the exterior damage to the refractor's dome caused by the storm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPoIrMzOubU
Lick Observatory badly damaged after 114 mph winds Christmas morning
Historic #LickObservatory closes to public following significant wind damage: https://news.ucsc.edu/2025/12/historic-lick-observatory-closes-to-public-following-significant-wind-damage/ - early on Thursday, Dec. 25, severe winds gusting up to 183 km/h tore loose half of the shutter on the 140-year old 36-inch Great Refractor dome; no one was injured.
Richard BrockieOur company observes MLK day, so I did some avoidance by riding up Mt. Hamilton again. Riding to the beginning of the climb, we had some gusty winds that almost persuaded me that climbing would be a bad idea. Weirdly, the winds were stronger at low levels with very little towards the top.
It was warmer than last time at the top and I again enjoyed the somewhat hidden courtyard. This time I spotted the plaque thanking the Jon Graff fund for helping with the maintenance.
Richard Brockie (@[email protected])
Attached: 4 images I last climbed Mt. Hamilton by bike in September when I suffered mightily due to lumbar pain. It's 49.5 miles out-and-back from home with ~5,500' of climbing. While I got to the top in September, I needed to take several breaks. My goal for this 2 week break from work was to build up to revisiting Mt. Hamilton. I rode to the fire station (7 miles from the top) last weekend and then the Calaveras/Felter/Sierra loop on Thursday as well as recovery rides on other days trying to avoid the rain. Despite the nice weather on Thursday I was disappointingly slow. After yesterday's rain, the weather was good for climbing Hamilton - partly cloudy with a high-level overcast with good visibility. I got to the top with some lumbar pain, but without stopping! I even had a sprint in the legs at the very top. I wasn't taking in the scenery on the way up, but at the top the views were rather good. Here are a few shots from the summit (the Sierras were visible to the East), plus a stunning vista that interrupted my descent. #MtHamilton #SanJose #cycling #photo #SiliconValley
Looking down on the final corner climbing to the #LickObservatory on #MtHamilton.
