ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVA- 

 TORIES 



BY R. G. AITKEN 



Astronomer, Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton 



THE first research observatory established 

 within the Pacific area was the Lick Observa- 

 tory of the University of California. It stands 

 on the summit of Mount Hamilton, the highest peak 

 in a spur of the Coast Range Mountains forming the 

 eastern boundary of the Santa Clara Vallej^, at an 

 altitude of 4209 feet. An excellent mountain road 

 connects the summit with the city of San Jose, 

 thirteen miles distant in an air line. The road was 

 built and is kept in repair by the countjr of Santa 

 Clara and is very popular with automobilists, for it 

 is wide enough for two machines to pass safely, the 

 grade is easj^, and the scenery beautiful. The road 

 is a very winding one and lengthens the air line 

 distance of 13 miles to 26. (See PI. XXVIL) 



Provision for the observatory was made in 

 James Lick's famous deed of trust, dated July 16, 

 1874. The sum of $700,000 was set aside for the 

 erection of a telescope "superior to and more 

 powerful than any telescope ever yet made * * * 

 and also a suitable observatory connected there- 

 with." Actual construction at Mount Hamilton was 

 begun in 1879, and the completed observatory was 

 transferred to the Regents of the University of Cali- 

 fornia on June 1, 1888. 



The principal telescope provided by the Lick 

 trustees is an equatorial refractor with an object 

 glass 36 inches in diameter figured by Alvan Clark 

 & Sons. The mounting was constructed by Warner 

 & Swasey. A 12-inch Clark equatorial refractor 

 and a 6% -inch Repsold meridian circle, besides 

 smaller telescopes, fine clocks and chronometers 

 and other pieces of auxiliary apparatus were also 

 provided. 



A 36%-inch reflecting telescope was presented in 

 1895 by Edward Crossley, Esq., of Halifax, England, 

 the cost of transportation and erection at Mount 

 Hamilton being met by subscriptions by prominent 

 citizens of California. A 37^ -inch Cassegrain re- 

 flecting telescope, with spectrographs and a modern 

 dome, the gift of the late Mr. D. O. Mills, is at 

 present located on the summit of Cerro San Cristo- 



NOTE.— This chapter Is, by permission of Dr. W. W. 

 Campbell, based largely upon his "Brief History of Astron- 

 omy In California," which is indued in Eldredge's History of 

 California. Some sentences have been copied verbatim. 



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