UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA OBSERVATORIES / LICK OBSERVATORY |
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A bolt of lightning is seen in the distance, near Mountain View and Palo Alto,
at the southwest end of San Francisco Bay. The bay itself can be seen
just below the lightning bolt. Virga (rain which evaporates before
reaching the ground) streams from the clouds. An eerie light illuminates
the foothills below the observatory.
The view, looking west, includes stretches of Mt. Hamilton Road (California Highway 130) in the foreground. As a condition of the bequest which built Lick Observatory in the late 19th century, James Lick stipulated that Santa Clara County must build a first-class road to the summit. It was completed in 1876. Twelve years later, in 1888, the observatory began operation. |
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