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| view in FULL SCREEN toggle F11 LICK OBSERVATORY 1999 September 8 In this one-minute time exposure looking west from Kepler Peak, a turbulent cloud hurtles lightning into Mt. Hamilton foothills. Across Silicon Valley, more bolts shock the Santa Cruz Mountains twenty miles away. Thunder rumbles across hillsides announcing repeated strikes. Sheets of rain drench valley neighborhoods. It is a spectacle of rare intensity on Mt. Hamilton, and one that will continue past daybreak. Domes remain closed for the duration of the storm, shielding telescopes from the assault. A VIEW FROM LICK OBSERVATORY Lick Observatory crowns the 4200-foot summit of Mt. Hamilton above central California’s Silicon Valley. This research station serves astronomers from University of California campuses and their collaborators worldwide. Eccentric Bay Area businessman and philanthropist James Lick funded construction in the 1880’s, envisioning the Observatory as a premier astronomical facility, and also as his memorial and final resting place. Lick is entombed in the base of the Lick 36” Refractor, the most powerful telescope on the planet when built. It remains the world’s second largest refractor. The mountaintop is populated by ten telescopes which are supported by resident staff and by headquarters at UC Santa Cruz. Acclaimed for academic excellence, technical expertise, and superior instrumentation, Lick Observatory probes the expanding frontiers of space. EXPOSURE DATA Nikon N90s COPYRIGHT All images and text are property of Laurie Hatch Photography; unauthorized use is a violation of copyright law. You are welcome to email me with your useage requests. FOR MORE INFORMATION University of California Observatories The History of Lick Observatory The photographer thanks UCO / Lick Observatory staff and friends for their continual and enthusiastic support. FINE ART PRINTS: |
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