Vulcan North, Lick observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Vulcan North is a telescope and dome within the historic Lick Observatory complex atop Mount Hamilton in California's Diablo Range, east of San Jose.
About Vulcan North, Lick Observatory
The North Dome is the oldest surviving structure at Lick Observatory, originally built to house a 12-inch Clark refractor. The Vulcan telescope now installed there was the last telescope added to the dome, and it was used to test technology and software later applied to NASA's Kepler Space Telescope.
Location & getting there
Vulcan North sits on the summit of Mount Hamilton in the Diablo Range, east of San Jose, California, as part of the wider Lick Observatory site.
Visiting Vulcan North, Lick Observatory
As part of the Lick Observatory complex, Vulcan North is best visited alongside the rest of the site. Check Lick Observatory's official website for current opening hours and tour information before you travel to Mount Hamilton.
See your named star from here
Vulcan North's role testing Kepler's planet-hunting technology shows just how precisely astronomers can point at exact coordinates in the sky, the same coordinates that come with every star named through star-register.eu. Name a star as a gift, or browse the catalogue of named stars.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
