The historically significant, 57-foot-long Great Refractor telescope near San Jose is in serious danger, after 110 mile-per-hour winds ripped a steel crescent off the Lick Observatory’s roof, and more storms are on the way.
In the wee early hours of Christmas Day, Mount Hamilton’s Lick Observatory in Santa Clara County was battered by 110 mile-per-hour winds that blew off one its dome’s sliding steel crescents that separate and open the roof for the telescope. And that exposed the pride and joy of Lick Observatory, the famed 57-foot-long Great Refractor. That historically significant telescope was critical to modern astronomy: built in 1888, previously the largest lens telescope in the world, and was famously used to discover Jupiter’s fifth moon (after Galileo had discovered the first four 300 years prior).
The Great Refractor is still an excellent functioning telescope, and a popular visitor attraction. Except it's not available to visitors right now,
Here’s what Lick Observatory looks like now. The Great Refractor itself is currently covered in black plastic tarps, and was not damaged by the Christmas storm. But it could be damaged this week, with storms rolling in on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, plus Friday and Saturday too.
“Lenses, of course, don’t like water,” Lick astronomer Elinor Gates told the Bay Area News Group. “Electrical equipment doesn’t like water.”
There was an encouraging update on repairs from the observatory on Tuesday. “We are pleased to report the historic 36-inch refractor telescope dome rotates correctly and the remaining dome shutter is intact and moves properly,” the observatory said on Facebook. “Lick Observatory staff and contractors have been working diligently to secure the facility in advance of the incoming storm. To ensure no further damage occurs, they have been patching the damage to the historic Main Building roof and creating a water catcher/funneling device in the 36-inch telescope dome.”
The Lick Observatory has not decided on a permanent fix for the roof, and it sure doesn’t seem like they’ll be hosting visitors anytime soon. But right now, they're more worried about preserving the Great Refractor than reconfiguring the roof for repairs.
“It is not an easy solution,” Lick Observatory site superintendent Jamey Eriksen told the New Group. “We’re just trying to get through, protect this amazing telescope and building.”
Needless to say, the Lick Observatory homepage is currently taking donations to help with repairs.
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Image: @DJSnM via Twitter
