
A California wildfire nearly destroyed the historic Lick observatory - elsewhen
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/08/a-california-wildfire-nearly-destroyed-the-historic-lick-observatory/
======
throw0101a
To think that the night sky around LA was dark enough at some point to make
celestial observations. See also Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, the office
of the Vatican Observatory:

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castel_Gandolfo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castel_Gandolfo)

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0DAKaR16cY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0DAKaR16cY)

Certainly there are bigger problems in the world, but it'd be nice if light
pollution could be taken into account when making policy decisions (like which
street lamps a municipality will buy):

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pollution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pollution)

* [https://www.darksky.org/our-work/lighting/](https://www.darksky.org/our-work/lighting/)

I think a lot of people would enjoy seeing the natural night sky without
having to travel great distances:

* [https://kottke.org/17/12/lost-in-light-how-light-pollution-o...](https://kottke.org/17/12/lost-in-light-how-light-pollution-obscures-our-view-of-the-night-sky)

~~~
eitally
It's hard to tell where you are, but if you're in the bay area and know enough
to post what you did, you probably should also know that the city of San Jose
did specifically select street lamps based on light pollution concerns from
the astronomers at Lick.

[https://www.quora.com/Why-did-San-Jose-install-yellow-
street...](https://www.quora.com/Why-did-San-Jose-install-yellow-street-
lights)

[https://mthamilton.ucolick.org/public/lighting/Pollution2.ht...](https://mthamilton.ucolick.org/public/lighting/Pollution2.html)

As a transplant, it took some getting used to, because the low pressure sodium
street lamps are roughly the same color as yellow stop lights. For better or
for worse, the city of San Jose has been replacing the LPS lamps with LEDs for
the past 6 years, but at least they're down-facing and create less light
pollution than many other options.

~~~
throw0101a
Closest one to where I live:

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrance_Barrens#Dark-sky_pres...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrance_Barrens#Dark-sky_preserve)

Current at-risk:

* [https://www.blogto.com/travel/2020/08/torrance-barrens-dark-...](https://www.blogto.com/travel/2020/08/torrance-barrens-dark-sky-preserve-ruined/)

------
sizzzzlerz
I've been up that way many times, by bike, by motorcycle, by car. Although the
road to the top is relatively tame (7% max grade), the surrounding area is
super steep and hilly. Great for hiking and mountain biking, not so much for
fire fighting. It's also very, very dry. Major props to all the fire fighters
who labored to save such a historically important facility.

~~~
fennecfoxen
If I recall correctly, the road to the top is relatively tame because it was
built to deliver construction materials to the observatory, and that was
before motor vehicles.

~~~
chillers
I visited last November from the San Jose side, and the road was a nightmare.
It's a small, windy road through the mountains with little visibility. I could
see it being extremely difficult to navigate with firetrucks as it took me
quite a while with my Prius.

~~~
ericbarrett
The front road (Mt. Hamilton Road / Hwy 130, starting at Alum Rock) is very
winding because the grade was limited to allow horse & cargo carriage to
summit the peak. Limiting the grade means extra turns. The back side roads,
down to Livermore or Patterson, as well as the faster front cutoff (Quimby Rd)
were built for vehicles and are much steeper and a little straighter.

Source: Grew up there

------
mark-r
Mount Hamilton is one of my favorite places on earth, even though I've only
been there twice. You feel like you're seeing the best that nature and man can
produce, both at the same time. I'm glad they were able to save the
observatory.

~~~
basementcat
I had similar feelings climbing Mt Wilson near Los Angeles and Mauna Kea in
the big island of Hawaii.

~~~
50
I was once a student at a community college taking an astronomy course and was
required to visit an observatory to write a reflection piece. I ended up
visiting Mt. Wilson Observatory. Boy, did I think my beat-up, 2002 Honda Civic
coupe would not make it up there due to the incline - my friends and I were in
awe of how we were driving "in the clouds" (or maybe it was just fog?). I
loved it up there! If I recall correctly, they had this shack where you could
buy your tour pass and food.

