Lick Observatory

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lick-observatory

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Lick Observatory?Discovery of Jupiter's moon Amalthea by Edward Emerson Barnard in 1892
2. How high is Lick Observatory?Approximately 4,200 feet (1,280 meters) above sea level
3. What is the location?Summit of Mount Hamilton, Diablo Range, California, United States
4. What is the primary funding source?Bequest from James Lick
5. Why was it built on Mount Hamilton?It was built high on Mount Hamilton so the air is clear and there is less light from cities, giving better views of the sky.
6. Who started Lick Observatory and why?James Lick, a businessman from San Francisco, gave money to build the observatory so scientists could study the universe.

Philanthropy: The act of donating money or time to help others or support a cause.
Atmospheric Turbulence: The chaotic movement of air in Earth's atmosphere that can distort light from space.
Stellar Spectroscopy: Analyzing the light from stars to determine their chemical composition, temperature, and motion.
Parallax: The apparent shift in an object's position when viewed from different locations, used to measure cosmic distances.