Lick Observatory after Dark 

Dear HoSV readers

This year, as in the past, I’ll be volunteering at the Summer Series Lick Observatory.  To give you some idea of what this is all about I’m posting the information as a self interview with lots of hyperlinks.  It just seems easier to tell the story this way.  I hope you enjoy it. 

Q:  First question, who was James Lick?

A:  James Lick was a Pennsylvania farm boy who came to California by way of South America.  He arrived in San Francisco in January of 1848.  Surmising that San Francisco would one day be a great port city he purchased most of what is now downtown San Francisco.  The land was considered of little value but when gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill Lick became fantastically wealthy.  Uninterested in an extravagant lifestyle he had no desire to live like royalty surrounded by servants.  So the bulk of his wealth was spent on philanthropic projects.  The Observatory that bears his name was only one such enterprise. 

Q:  How exactly did the Observatory come about?  Was it all his idea?

A:  As Lick grew older he realized that he would soon be leaving for new adventures.  He had plans drawn up for a gigantic pyramid to be built on Market Street in San Francisco.  It would rival the pharaohs of ancient Egypt and serve as his final resting place.  A membered of the newly founded California Academy of Sciences heard of these plans and approached Lick with an alternative idea.  He suggested that Lick spend the money not on a pyramid but on the world’s largest and finest telescope and astronomical observatory.  It was further suggested that Lick donate this observatory to the newly created University of California.  James Lick agreed to fund the project on two conditions.  The first stipulation was that there would be public nights when the telescope would be open for use by all visitors.  Lick’s second requirement was that his body be interred beneath it.  A more practical solution was suggested, that his cremated remains be buried instead.  Ever the eccentric Lick replied, “Certainly not!  I intended to rot like a gentleman.”  Both conditions were met and the observatory was built. 

Q:  What sets Lick Observatory apart from every other observatory?

A:  Lick is the world’s first permanently inhabited mountaintop observatory.  It announced to the world that California was a force to be reckoned with.

Q:  How so?

A:  In the waning decades of the 19th century all the great academic institutions such as Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford were located in Europe, the United Kingdom or the east coast of the United States.  At that time many people considered California to be a frontier.   They thought it was the wild west with gunslingers, cattle rustlers and shootouts at high noon. And yet we had what was then the most splendid telescope and the finest astronomical observatory in the world.  It was really something. 

Q:  Don’t some people still consider California to be the wild west? 

A:  Sure,  I’ve had international flight students who think they need a built proof vest to walk the streets of Palo Alto.  These are the same people who’re surprised that after a week in California they haven’t felt a single earthquake.  The same people who ask me to show them “Lerner Field” from the movie Con-Air and are disappointed when I tell them it doesn’t actually exist.

Q:  Tell us about the mountain.  Is it in anyway remarkable?

A:  Mt. Hamilton is in the Diablo Range and it’s amazing.  At sunset and after dark it provides the most beautiful views of the Silicon Valley.  On really clear days looking east you can see all the way across the central valley to Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

Q:  What’s the most dramatic event of an non astronomical nature ever to happen at Lick?

A:  During a night IFR flight in 1939 a US Army Air Corps Northrop A-17 crashed into the main building taking out what’s now the gift shop.  The pilot and his passenger were killed instantly and mercifully unaware.  The irreplaceable Great Lick Refractor escaped destruction by the slimmest of margins, only a few hundred feet. 

Q:  It sounds like the pilot of that plane was very stupid. 

A:  I wouldn’t say that at all.

Q:  What would you say? 

A:  I’d say the pilot was human.  I knew an extremely talented pilot who lost his life flying into the Diablo Range under similar conditions.  Single pilot, single engine, night IFR is the most demanding challenge I’ve ever faced.  It’s the most demanding challenge I’m ever likely to face.  All you need do is miss read the altimeter and it’s goodbye Charlie.    Fortunately modern technology has made IFR flying much safer.  Glass panel cockpits give pilots a much better sense of situational awareness and virtual reality googles are not too far off in the future. 

Q:  Walking about the mountaintop I’ve noticed an abandon grade school, several derelict telescope domes and a few empty houses left to decay.   Not to be melodramatic but these structures appear to be haunted.   Are there any ghost stories associated with the observatory? 

A:  Only one that I know of.  But it’s not a “real” ghost story.  It isn’t even particularly scary. 

Q:  Will you share it with us?

A:  If you insist.  In the 1930’s a guest astronomer came to Lick to conduct some research.  Since each world class telescope is unique the guest astronomer was given a tutorial on how to operate the 36-inch Refractor.   The staff astronomer said, “Now should you catch a glimpse of the ghost of James Lick round about 1 am don’t be alarmed.  We’ve all seen his specter but he’s totally benign.  He just wants to make sure that you’re using the telescope in a responsible manner.”  This of course was a joke.  However a technician was watching and noticed that the guest astronomer didn’t laugh.  To the contrary he looked quite nervous.  Surely a man of science couldn’t believe in anything so childish as ghosts.  The technician resolved to find out. 

Q:  What happened next?

A:  James Lick’s crypt is located just below the observing floor and is undeniably spooky, especially at night.  The technician must have had an evil streak because he decided to play a very wicked prank. 

Q:  What sort of prank?

A:  At 1 am that night the astronomer was hard at work all alone at the 36 inch telescope.  The technician climbed under the observing floor with some chains and began to rattle them while moaning in anguish.  The poor astronomer ran from the building screaming in terror.  Staff members intercepted him in the parking lot and apologized profusely.  They even went so far as to wake the observatory director.  But it was to no avail.  The astronomer wasn’t to be placated.  He climbed into his car and drove down the mountain never to return.   

Q:  You’ve volunteered for the Summer Series at Lick Observatory for 12 years.  What keeps you coming back year after year?

A:  The people, the equipment, the history, and of course the stars.

Q:  To what people do you refer? 

A:  The members of the public as well as the observatory staff.   Dealing with the public can be challenging.  They say you can’t make everyone happy.  But when visitors arrive at Lick they’re generally in a pretty good mood.  All we need do is keep them happy.  Since we have some really cool stuff to show them this is usually an easy task.  Also they see me as a representative of the Observatory and that’s pretty neat.   On top of all that I enjoy having the opportunity to hang out with the professional astronomers and staff.  They’re all wonderful people, every last one of them.

Q:  Who is likely to visit Lick for the Summer Series?  Are they amateur astronomers, school groups or Star Wars fans?

A:  Not so much.  Apparently Lick is on some sort of list of things to do if you’re a foreign visitor to the Silicon Valley.  Or perhaps it’s just word of mouth.  I see lots of international guests but not so many locals.  As incredible as this may sound most Silicon Valley locals don’t even know Lick exists.  How that’s even possible I don’t know.  You can see the domes from Highway 101. 

Q:  What do you hope visitors will take away from Lick? 

A:  In addition to the souvenir coffee mugs and wine glasses I hope they’ll leave with a better appreciation for the beauty and wonder of the universe.  I hope the experience will encourage them to take a deeper interest in astronomy. 

Q:  Couldn’t the same thing be achieved by surfing the net for Hubble Space Telescope pictures or by watching the TV series Cosmos? 

A:  I love Hubble images and I love Cosmos.  However we establish a more intimate and direct relationship with the universe when we view the actual photons that have crossed millions of light years only to find their way into our telescopes and end their journey on the retinas of our eyes.   

Q:  Is this intimate relationship of which you speak worth the drive up the side of a 4,200 foot mountain? 

A:  It is for some.  After a single visit to Lick Observatory in 1905 the artist Chesley Bonestell was inspired to devote his life to painting alien worlds and human spaceflight.  The images he created inspired generations of boys and girls, men and women.  His artwork helped create the future. 

Q:  You make it sound all very romantic.   

A:  Isn’t it romantic?  If we consider the Orion Nebula and ask ourselves questions such as; how far away is it, how old is it, what’s it made of and how big is it, we take a journey into outer space.  But if we turn the questions around and ask how the Orion Nebula makes us feel; happy or sad, insignificant, ephemeral, inspired or thrilled, then we take a journey deep into ourselves.  I think that’s the incredible thing about the universe.  It’s not so much what it is, it’s how we relate to it. 

Q:  That’s all very nice.  But we don’t all find inspiration in the same places.  What would you say if I told you that astronomy didn’t do a thing for me? 

A:  I’d say that that was fine.  Do whatever interests you.  If you don’t have a passion for something keep looking until you find it.  Discover the thing that fires your imagination. 

Q:  That sounds difficult.

A:  Not really.  Once you find what you love your passion for it will make you an authority on that subject whatever it might be. 

Q:  What are your duties at the Summer Series? 

A:  Most nights I’ve set up my mighty Questar telescope outside the dome of the Great Lick Refractor.  This helps alleviate some of the congestion for the big telescopes.  It also demonstrates to visitors that you don’t need a really huge instrument to see some very neat things.  It’s great fun but being outside until well past midnight can be a challenge.  Even in summer the weather on Mt. Hamilton can be unpredictable.  Many nights are simply glorious, but on occasion it can be cold and so windy that I fear being blown off the mountain.  On nights such as that I keep running indoors for hot chocolate and I count the hours until I can pack up my telescope and go home to my cats. 

Q:  But you’ve worked the indoor positions as well?

A:  That I have.  One of my favorite positions is greeting visitors as they first enter the building.  I consider it a great honor to make that first impression.  I’ve also ushered people in and out of the 36 inch dome as well as the dome for the 40 inch reflector.   Talking about the telescopes is fun, but I have concerns as well.  Whoever designed Castle Dracula must have drawn up the plans for Lick Observatory as well.  I can’t imagine a building with more steep, narrow and twisting staircases.  The Winchester Mystery House has nothing on Lick let me tell you.  I often worry about guests falling, especially the young and the elderly.   

Q:  You mentioned the equipment.  Is it particularly nice? 

A:  I should say so!   The jewel in the crown is the Alvan Clark Great Lick Refractor, a telescope that saw first light in 1888.  This behemoth is 60 feet long, the size of an ICBM.  It, and the dome that houses it, are virtually one hundred precent original.  If you replaced the electric lights with gas lamps you’d think it was the turn of the century. 

Q:  How’s the viewing?

A:  I thought you’d never ask.  It’s amazing, but it isn’t simply a matter of the view. Other telescopes can do as well, or better.  It’s the history and the ambiance of being under the dome which, by itself, is a masterpiece of 19th century engineering.  Every time I’m there I feel as if I’m on the set of a big budget Hollywood film. Yet it’s all real, it’s all genuine.   It’s where worlds have been discovered.  You can stand in the exact same spot where, in 1892, Edward Emerson Barnard discovered Amalthea, the first Jovian moon uncovered since the Galilean satellites were found in 1610.  That’s a time span of 282 year.  My only regret is that they’re no longer allowed to run the observing floor on public nights. 

Q:  Run the observing floor?  What does that mean?

A:  The telescope is 60 feet long and mounted in the middle of its optical tube.  If you reposition it from an object near the zenith to one near the horizon the elevation of the eyepiece will increase by more than 20 feet.  It wouldn’t be safe to balance atop a 25 foot ladder in the dark so the entire observing floor is an elevator.  It can be raised or lowered so that the eyepiece is always in a convent position.  The mechanism is over a hundred and twenty-five years old and still works perfectly. 

Q:  If it still works why not use it?

A:  For use with the public the approval of the County Fire Marshal is required.  A few years ago he looked at it and said; no way.  Considering that nothing else like it exists I can’t say I blame him.  Anything built by the hand of man will eventually fail. 

Q:  Have you ever had difficulty convincing friends to visit Lick with you?

A:  I sure have.  The Mt. Hamilton Road is not for the fainthearted.  It scares some people silly and with good reason.  It was built in 1875 and is said to have 365 curves, one for each day (or night) of the year.   People have been known to start up the road, get half way up the mountain and turn back in fear.

Q:  Has Lick kept abreast of the other observatories when it comes to research? 

A:  I’m very glad you asked that question.  I really want to stress that not only has Lick kept up, it’s lead the pack in many areas.  Just to name one example Adaptive Optics was pioneered at Lick using the Shane Telescope.  That in and of itself will revolutionize Earth based astronomy.  It’s huge, just huge. 

Q:  What’s Adaptive Optics?

A:  If you look at the photograph associated with this interview you’ll notice a thin orange beam of light emanating from the dome of the Shane.  That’s a laser beam that creates an artificial guide “star”.  By observing this guide “star” computers can adjust and compensate for turbulence in the Earth’s atmosphere effectively tuning it out.   It’s almost like removing the atmosphere so the telescope can preform to its full potential free from distortions. 

Q:  What if that laser beam found its way into an aircraft cockpit?  Wouldn’t it blind the pilot? 

A:  It would, but there are several layers of protection to keep that from happening.   In addition to an auto shutoff triggered by radar there are always two laser spotters stationed outside the dome who can order a manual shutoff.

Q:  Are you sure about that?

A:  I’ve spent time as a laser spotter so yes, I’m sure.    

Q:  Do you have any funny Lick Observatory stories?

A:  I once attended a lecture at the Flint Center by none other than Neil Armstrong who, I hope you will recall, was first man on the moon.  Armstrong said that way back in 1969 a scientist designed an experiment to bounce a beam of laser light off the moon to measure the Earth-moon distance with extreme accuracy.  Armstrong went on to say that he was recruited not as a co-investigator or as a research assistant but as a technician.  It was his job to set up the mirror on the moon.  Lick Observatory’s Shane Telescope was used to aim the laser.  It took a number of attempts to get a hit on the mirror but at last they achieved success.  Armstrong said that the reason for the initial miss was that the location of Lick Observatory was in error.  He then claimed, with much pride, that he was the man who discovered the true location of Lick.  It was a funny story because anyone stepping outside of the Flint auditorium could see Mt. Hamilton and the the white domes of Lick. 

Q:  Have you ever been spooked at Lick?

A:  Not on the mountaintop but I have found myself getting rattled on the drive down the Mt. Hamilton road.  At night it’s very lonely and in places extremely creepy overhung with ancient knurled oaks hung with moss.  I don’t enjoy driving that road alone.  These days I always try to carpool and not just to save gas. 

Q:  Have you ever seen anything odd or inexplicable on this drive? 

A:  I’m not one for tales of the paranormal, but the answer is yes. 

Q:  Will you tell us about it?

A:  A few years ago I was driving down the mountain.  The time was about 1:30 am and I noticed four cars parked by the roadside.  They were just average cars in no way remarkable.  Perhaps ten or twenty feet away from the cars was a group of people, about ten of them.  They were aged from eleven or twelve years on up to early middle age and they seemed to form a prayer circle.  It was very odd but they didn’t seem to be in any sort of distress so I just kept driving.

Q:  Is that all?

A:  No.  About a month later I was making the same lonely drive at the same time of night when at the same spot by the road I came across what appeared to be the same group of people.  I was curious and so I slowed my car to have a better look at who they were and what they were doing.  In unison ten ghostly white faces turned to look at me.  Their expressions were neither hostile nor welcoming.  Their faces were just sort of empty and blank.  The experience was extremely unnerving.  I hit the gas and I didn’t look back.

Q:  Who do you suppose they were?

A:  A coven of witches I would guess.  California is home to all sorts of crazy cults the majority of them quite harmless. If people want to practice the Wicca religion it’s okay by me.  But I’d prefer they preform their rituals in their church, or at home, and not in some remote location where I’m likely to stumble across them at 2 o’clock in the morning.  I don’t need that.  I don’t need that at all. 

Q:  What does the future hold for Lick? 

A:  The outlook is bleak.  With light pollution from San Jose Mt. Hamilton is no longer a first class observing site.  The big money for future projects will go elsewhere.  Given the budgetary constraints facing the University of California the regents are ready to defund Lick.  It’s only a matter of time.  Lick is currently on life support. 

Q:  But what of the historic significance of Lick?  Surely that must be taken into account. 

A:  The University of California cares for only two things;  education and research.  Historic preservation is not a concern.  Especially not when they’re having difficulty paying their professors. 

Q:  Can’t Lick be used for public outreach or as a science museum?

A:  Lick’s location is remote and parking is limited.  The 19th century buildings are impossible to negotiate in wheelchairs and a far cry from 21st century safety and comfort standard.  I wish it was otherwise but Lick may be in its final days.  I can well imagine a day when all the building will be surround by chain-link fences hung with “No Trespassing” signs. 

Q:  You sound pessimistic. 

A:  Let’s hope I’m wrong.  But if you want to visit Lick as a working observatory don’t delay.  You’ll find the following hyperlink useful. 

Summer Series at Lick Observatory.

Q:  Will you post pictures and stories from the 2016 Summer Series?

A:  You can count on it.