The multi-ton shutter section fell outward onto the roof of the Great Hall, crushing several structural beams. The Great Refractor telescope was not damaged during the incident, but its precision lenses and electrical systems could now be vulnerable to rain.
Early on Thursday, Dec. 25, severe winds gusting up to 114 miles per hour tore loose half of the shutter on the 140-year old 36-inch Great Refractor dome. No one was injured.
December 29, 2025 – By Scott Hernandez-Jason – Lick Observatory is temporarily closed to the public, following a windstorm that caused significant damage to the University of California research facility…