Timeline
1941
Carnegie Astrograph Completed
Lick Observatory, CA
The Carnegie Double Astrograph at Lick Observatory was completed, and a huge survey of the Northern Hemisphere sky was undertaken.
1930
Discovered Existence Of Interstellar Dust Grains
Lick Observatory, CA
In the 1930’s Robert Trumpler discovered the existence of dust grains in interstellar space between the stars, which we later know is the stuff from which rocky planets form.
1922
Verified Einstein’s Theory
Lick Observatory, CA
The Lick eclipse expedition to Australia in 1922 was the first scientific measurement to convincingly verify Einstein’s theory of General Relativity.
1900
Perfected Deep-Space Photography
Early 1900’s Lick Observatory, CA
Astronomical photography was perfected on Lick’s Crossley telescope, which, starting in the early 1900s, was the first to reveal the innumerable galaxies in the cosmos far beyond our Milky Way.
1896
Crossley 36-Inch Completed
Lick Observatory, CA
The Crossley 36-inch reflecting telescope was completed. Amateur astronomer Andrew A. Common built the Crossley Reflector in Great Britain in 1879, and the Crossley was one of the first large reflectors ever built.
1888
Built World’s Largest Telescope
Lick Observatory, CA
The Great Refractor was the world’s largest telescope when it was completed in 1888. It predated electricity, and its 14-ton rising floor was a miracle of ingenuity that relied only on water and wind-power.