P. D. Lynam  

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2020
2020-10-25:
Public Outreach: Ask An Astronomer: https://www.bayareasciencefestival2020.org/event/lick-observatory-ask-an-astronomer/ or Bay Area Science Festival
2020-10-08--2020-10-12:
Teaching: Observational Astronomy Workshop for UC Graduate Students.
2020-10-06:
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Prof. Dr Reinhard Genzel (MPE, UCB), Prof. Andrea Ghez (UCLA) and Prof. Sir Roger Penrose (Oxford).

As a former staff member of MPE, ESO and present staff member of UC, this is gratifying. On several occasions between 2004 and 2010, I was one of the ESO Paranal astronomers assigned to support Genzel and his team's in-person observations of the Galactic center with (e.g. using the SINFONI and NACO instruments, then mounted aboard UT4/Yepun).

2020-09-08:
Public Outreach: Science of Lick Observatory: Leicester Astronomical Society, UK.
2020-09-03:
Public Outreach: quoted in Atlas Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/lick-observatory-astronomy-archive-fire.
2020-08-26:
2020-08-25:
Quoted in University of California Observatories Special Public Address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=F3idyuZjnuQ&feature=emb_logo
2020-08-21:
With lightning storms in the weather forecast for the forthcoming weekend, San Jose mayor Sam Licardo encourages residents of the city's eastern suburbs (e.g. Evergreen, Alum Rock, Milpitas) to consider pre-emptively relocating in order to avoid any potential danger from the SCU Lightning Complex.
2020-09-08:
Public Outreach: Science of Lick Observatory: Leicester Astronomical Society, UK.
2020-08-20:
  1. Lick Observatory residents and employees are hanging tough, but stressed. All are safe.
  2. So far, telescope domes and supporting buildings appear to be intact. Telescopes and instruments will need a thorough assessment, when danger is clear, to assess potential issues caused by the fire and smoke.
  3. The power lines have been burned; the site is running on its emergency generator.
  4. The Visitors Center is at present undamaged and is being used as a command center and safe zone for firefighters.
  5. There is some structural damage to a few of the residential buildings, as well as some likely smoke and water damage. One already unoccupied building completely gutted.
  6. The danger is not over yet, some key areas were left unburned last night, and firefighters are concerned that the fire may circle back and ignite the northern mountainside today.
  7. Safety measures: Crews have been working hard to clear more space around the dome of the Shane 3-meter Telescope and several other structures in case the fire circles back today.
  8. There are 27 full-time residents who live in 18 houses and apartments on site.

  • At 19:12, the University of California, Santa Cruz campus is evacuated in the face of nearby wildfires in Santa Cruz county.
2020-08-19:
During the day and night, the Marsh fire sweeps through Lick Observatory property. A tower of fire, at least 200 feet high, accompanied by a howling sound is witnessed approaching the Tortilla Flats area, causing fire, smoke and water damage to residences and destroying one vehicle. The fire moves south along the west-facing slope of Rattlesnake Ridge, destroying the former resdience of E. E. Barnard. The fire is rapidly advancing over great distances, with hot embers travelling miles in minutes, igniting spot fires in advance of the main fire front. As the afternoon proceeds, the blaze rounds Ptolemy peak, heading eastward along the south-facing slopes of Mount Hamilton and descends towards Sulphur Creek, skirting below the Diner and Schoolhouse. During the evening and night, the conflagration roars up the southern slope of Kepler Peak. The flames come within feet of the residences, but fire crews fight to save the structures. "A miracle".
2020-08-18:
With the threat of the Marsh wildfire approaching from the northwest and the Canyon Zone wildfire approaching from the east, evacuation of Lick Observatory residents began circa 23:30 local time.
2020-08-16:
With Central and Northern California continuing to experience record-breaking high temperatures and rolling power-conservation black-outs occurring, in the small hours of the morning (02:30--03:30 onwards), a series of very active lightning storms moved onto the California mainland from the Pacific. Having made landfall in the Monterey Bay area, these storms progressed northward along the littoral regions of Northern California. From Mount Hamilton, the spectacular light show silhouetted the Santa Cruz mountains to the West and illuminated the Santa Clara valley. On Mount Hamilton, the arrival of the storm was accompanied by a sudden temperature drop of almost 20 degrees Farenheit and a spike in wind speeds from 5 to 35 mph. Early in the morning (circa 05:00--06:00) a brief, light, rain shower was recorded by the weather stations. San Jose also experienced a brief rain shower. These storms became the Historic Lightning Seige which ignited the Canyon Zone Fire, the Marsh Fire and hundred of other fires in a series of large complex fires (e.g. SCU Lightning Fire Complex, CZU Lightning Fire Complex), which in subsequent days were to threaten not only Lick Observatory but also the UCSC campus.
2020-08-15:
Public Outreach: Video link: S'Mores and Meteors, American Canyon..
2020-08-12:
Public Outreach: History and Science of Lick Observatory: SIRS 39, San Jose.
2020-08-11:
Public Outreach: History of Lick Observatory: Leicester Astronomical Society, UK.
2020-07-23:
Public Outreach: Virtual Tour of Lick Observatory: Space Life Sciences Training Program, NASA Ames Research Center.
2020-07-08:
Naked-eye and binocular observation of comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE from Kepler Peak.
2020-06-29:
Public Outreach: University of California Observatories Ask an Astronomer.
2020-05-02:
Release of Nova, a film to inspire girls in STEM for International Astronomy Day (partially filmed at Lick Observatory in June 2018).
2020-04-28:
STARLINK Satellite constellation (launched 2020-04-22) observed from Mount Hamilton.
2020-04-23:
Public Outreach/Media: Quoted in San Francisco Chronicle (Lyrid meteor shower is coming to an end, but you might get lucky and catch a shooting star.
2020-04-12: A Mount Hamilton Sunset:
Image
2020-03-17 onwards (COVID-19 response):
  • Santa Clara County Shelter in Place order extended until 3 May 2020 (2020-03-17). Further extended until 1 June 2020 (2020-04-27): https://www.sccgov.org/sites/phd/DiseaseInformation/novel-coronavirus/Documents/03-31-20-Health-Officer-Order-to-Shelter-in-Place.pdf
  • Support Astronomers available for administrative and emergency support only.
  • Lick Observatory shuts-down Shane and Nickel Operations (2020-03-25):

    Dear UC Observatories Community,

    We have been monitoring the rapidly evolving COVID-19 crisis and reacting accordingly, as the situation has been rapidly changing.

    Our very highest priority is to protect the health and safety of the 27 people who live at Lick.

    As a result, we have taken a series of actions:

    1) March 14th: Lick Observatory shut down all public outreach and visitor activities due to the COVID-19 crisis, until further notice.

    2) March 17: All travel to Lick Observatory by UC astronomers/staff was banned until further notice. All observing was required to be remote.

    3) As of tomorrow, March 26th: We will close Shane and Nickel telescope operations until further notice. However we will continue to operate, in a reduced-risk mode, the robotic telescopes (e.g. APF, KAIT, PANOSETI, CAMS.). In the remote chance that human intervention is needed, the very occasional involvement of staff on Mount Hamilton will be consistent with orders from Santa Clara County, from the Governor of California, and from UC.

    As we said above, our highest priority is the safety of the 27 residents of Mount Hamilton. We will continue to provide the Mount Hamilton community with safe water, power, heat, and access to mail and the internet. This requires that some of the infrastructure staff continue to work a few hours every day, consistent with the exceptions for essential activities in the current order to Shelter in Place. No cases of COVID-19 have been reported among our staff.

    Our next priority is protecting and maintaining the considerable infrastructure of Lick Observatory. This requires a few of the operations staff to work a few hours each day to inspect the domes and maintain any critical scientific equipment in a safe (but shutdown) mode.

    With these two priorities in place, we can address our third priority, providing access to OIR observing facilities consistent with the government's current orders. We have to balance science operations with the safety of the staff and state's requirement to shelter in place except for essential functions. This also means we have to be aware that we hold the public's trust in the operations of our facility.

    A reasonable argument could be made that astronomical research is not an essential function in a time of crisis. As such we are closing down the Shane and Nickel science operations, as of Thursday March 26, until we can be sure there is no effective risk from COVID-19 and we are not abusing the public trust.

    We will continue to operate, in a reduced risk mode, the robotic telescopes located at Lick Observatory as long as they can be consistent with orders from Santa Clara County, the Governor of California, and UC.

    We will continue to monitor this very fluid situation and will keep our UC astronomy community fully informed of any updates.

    Stay healthy,

    Claire E. Max
    Director, University of California Observatories

  • Stay At Home order issued by Governor of California (2020-03-19): https://covid19.ca.gov/img/Executive-Order-N-33-20.pdf.
  • Shelter In Place order issued by Santa Clara County (2020-03-17): https://www.sccgov.org/sites/phd/DiseaseInformation/novel-coronavirus/Documents/03-16-20-Health-Officer-Order-to-Shelter-in-Place.pdf.
2020-03-12:
Public Outreach: Tour of Lick Observatory: Blue Oak Ranch Reserve.
2020-02-15--2020-02-28:
Overseas.
2020-01-30:
Public Outreach/Media: Quoted in Los Angeles Times (Mysterious light streaks across Southern Californias night sky. What was it?) and Fox News (https://www.foxnews.com/science/experts-try-to-identify-mysterious-light-that-streaked-over-southern-california).
2020-01-01--2020-12-31:
Year Planners1 available in pdf format.

References

1. Year Planners: Portrait, A4; Portrait, US.
2. UCO/Lick Observatory Observational Astronomy Workshop, Mount Hamilton: http://mthamilton.ucolick.org/EVENTS/2020/.
This document last updated (UTC): Monday 23 September 2024