How many amazing places do you get to go to that are free to visit? As of this posting, Lick Observatory is one of those places where you can go in and read (and see), some of the history of this place.
I love to travel and love to learn about all kinds of things. My husband and I decided to drive to Lick Observatory to do both. If you haven’t been there recently (or ever), you should go.
The observatory is located atop Mt. Hamilton in the Diablo Range, East of San Jose. It is at 7281 Mount Hamilton Rd., Mount Hamilton, CA 95140
To Begin
We started our trip from the city of San Jose, California. I’ve got to tell you that San Jose has some great places to visit, so it’s a fun place to go to in itself. San Jose has the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (which I visited as a child). It has the San Jose Museum of Art, the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, the Municipal Rose Garden, and the Winchester Mystery House. All of these places get great reviews.
When it was time for us to drive to the Lick Observatory, we started our ascent using Google Maps. We traveled to the East side of San Jose to start. Directions told us it would be about an hour of driving to get there from where we were. Google Maps advised caution as the road up is scenic but winding. That was no exaggeration.
We left with a tank full of gasoline (we didn’t see any gas stations along the way). Our car was also in good condition for the trip (the brakes were used quite a bit on our return trip).
We hadn’t driven very far when I was able to capture this picture of San Jose. San Jose is big. It’s 179.97 square miles.
The road up to the observatory is not for the faint of heart. Don’t get me wrong, the road is in great condition. The problem is the turns and then the sheer drops seen from the passenger side of the road in so many places (my side of the road). The drive is physically challenging for the driver as they spend a good part of the trip concentrating on staying on the road. The road is so very twisty. Here is a screen shot of our cars maps screen.
The scenery up was indeed beautiful. I was able to see the moon during the brightness of midday, from the road. Do you see it?
Beautiful rolling hills and oak trees were everywhere. Is that the observatory on top of that mountain in the middle of this picture…I think it is!
As we drove and drove. Multiple times, I kept getting little glimpses of the observatory. I kept thinking, we’re almost there…but no, we still had a long way to go.
We couldn’t have asked for a prettier day. Everything was so clear up here.
I see a dome ahead of us…but I see other domes too. Do they all have telescopes? How many telescopes are being used up here?
There are 9 telescopes at the Lick Observatory, all of which are still functional, if not used for scientific research.
Yep, now you have another trivia answer.
Finally, We Arrived
The parking lot was nicely paved. We didn’t have any trouble parking. Doesn’t the blue make for an impressive look?
We went in and started looking around. We found out there was going to be a presenter in the dome to the right, under the Big 36-inch telescope. We looked around for a while until it was time for the presentation to start.
Did you know that the Lick Observatory has a permanent seismic station? It is part of the Berkley Seismological Laboratory Network. On July 6th, 2019, a 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake was recorded in Eastern California. Yes, this is what a magnitude 7.1 earthquake looks like on paper. There are other interesting earthquake printouts to be viewed, too.
A Little Bit About How the Lick Observatory Started
The Lick Observatory was constructed between 1876 and 1887. The funds for the construction were provided by a businessman and real estate magnate, James Lick. Mr. Lick provided a bequest of $700,000 for its construction (more than 25 million in today’s money).
Mr. Lick wanted to create a monument so that he would be remembered. First, he thought of a statue that could be seen in the distance by ships. That would have been quite a thing to see. It was pointed out to him that it would also be a visible target during any future wars. He passed on that idea.
He thought of building a pyramid bigger than the Pyramid of Cheops. I don’t think he was a pyramid kind of guy, as he passed on that idea too.
Soon, with the influence of some scientific friends, he decided to build the Lick Observatory. To him, that was a great way to be remembered, and doing so would further the exploration of the Universe too.
He decided to place the observatory on a mountain top (at that time, observatories were placed in cities). It was the hope that placing the telescope up high on the mountain would eliminate some atmospheric interference. This, in turn, would make for better observations. Additionally, he felt he would be able to see it up on the mountain top from his home.
In addition to the observatory, Mr. Lick got Santa Clara County to construct a great road up to the observatory, which they did. The road was completed in 1876.
During construction, in order for horse and mule-drawn carts to be able to make it up the road, the road had to be constructed curvy to keep the grade below 6.5%. That is why the trip up is so curvy.
The observatory was the first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory anywhere (which became a standard placement practice for observatories). It was equipped with the largest telescope of its time and was a major tourist attraction. This is just one of the many informational displays with historical pictures, seen in the Lick Observatory.
The trip to the observatory back then wasn’t as easy as our trip today. Back in the late 1800s, the 26-mile trip up Hwy 130 took hours, as people were brought up by horse and buggy.
The First 2 Telescopes
The first telescope was installed in the North dome. It was the 12-inch Clark refractor (1881). The installation of the 12-inch Clark refractor marks the functional beginning of the observatory. It started scientific observations years before the Big 36-inch refractor was delivered. This is one of the informational pictures we saw when we walked around.
The telescope we were going to see during the presentation was the Big 36-inch refractor installed in 1888.
When it was time for the presentation to start, we went in, found a seat, and listened to the history of this dome and its telescope.
This big telescope was commissioned in 1880. The 2, 36-inch diameter glass disks (later being lenses) were made in France. Next, they were transported by ship to Massachusetts, where they were ground and polished before being sent to the observatory on Mt. Hamilton. One of the 2 original lenses broke in transit to the observatory. It took several years to finally get that 2nd lens. It was delivered on December 29, 1886.
At the time, this 36-inch refractor was the largest refracting telescope in the world. Since then, there was a bigger one built, a 40-inch one in Wisconsin. Sadly, as of 2018, it no longer works. It is said it may never see starlight again. Because of this, the Lick 36-inch is the largest working refracting telescope in the world.
After the presentation was over, we walked around and read quite a few informational plaques, we saw busts of men, an old-time floor clock, a lovely courtyard garden, and a gift shop.
What Do We Know About the Other Telescopes?
The Crossley 36-inch Reflector was the next to be installed (1895). It was originally built in England in 1879. It was later donated to the Lick Observatory.
It was more than 61 years before the arrival of the Carnegie 20-inch Double Astrograph (1941). This telescope was used to begin a structural mapping survey of the Milky Way galaxy.
The Tauchmann 22-inch Reflector was built in 1937, then purchased in 1950 by the Lick Observatory. Its dome installation was completed in 1954.
In 1959, the Shane 120-inch Reflector telescope arrived (the 2nd largest in the world of its kind, at that time). This telescope was used to study and measure the redshift of distant quasars.
In 1969, the Coude Auxiliary Telescope (CAT) 24-inch was installed adjacent to the Shane dome. This telescope provides star light.
The Anna L. Nickel 39-inch Reflector replaced the original 12-inch Clark refracting telescope. Replacement was complete, and the telescope was operational October 1979.
Next came the Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT) 30-inch. It was up and running in 1996. It is robotic.
Last but not least was the Automated Planet Finder (APF) 94-inch Reflector. It was fully commissioned on Mt. Hamilton in August 2013.
So Many Telescopes But Not Enough Time
It came to pass that James Lick died before the Observatory was complete. He is buried directly beneath the Big 36-inch refractor.
There is a plaque near where he was buried that simply states, “Here lies the body of James Lick”. Just above that plaque is a little light that is positioned to shine down on the plaque…but when the telescope is in use, there is infinite light shining through it, above him.
Well, We Saw All We Could That Day
You know, I only showed you a blink of the things that can be seen here. In order to see more, you must go and visit the Lick Observatory.
As I said earlier, there is a gift shop where you can buy all kinds of fun things (shirts with cool celestial prints, coffee cups, posters, and more).
Before you go up to the observatory, click on the link to see and read about current and future events. You can also find out when they are open to the public and lots of other information through the link.
There are some extra special events that do cost money, but you don’t have to go to one of those if you don’t want to…or maybe you will want to. When I looked, the event I was interest in was sold out way in advance.
When you go, go early. Allow yourself some time to see and read all they have for you. Another reason to go early is so you aren’t driving back down the mountain at night.
If you like books, you might like this book titled “Eye On the Sky“. It tells about the people who made the Lick Observatory into reality. If it appeals to you, get a copy quickly, as there aren’t many copies of this book left! It got amazing reviews on Amazon. It got a 4.9! I think I might get a copy for myself!
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More Content
If you love museums, click on one of these links to see and read about another museum you might like to visit.
The Boundary County Historical Museum in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
The Crater Rock Museum in Central Point, Oregon.
The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana.
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