astronomy

James Lick telescope

James Lick telescope is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand James Lick telescope rather than just read about it. In short: The James Lick Telescope is a refracting telescope built in 1888. It has a lens, which is 91 centimetres (36 in) in diameter—a major achievement in its day.

Key takeaways

James Lick telescope belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect James Lick telescope to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of James Lick telescope from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The James Lick Telescope is a refracting telescope built in 1888. It has a lens, which is 91 centimetres (36 in) in diameter—a major achievement in its day. The instrument remains in operation and public viewing is allowed on a limited basis. Also called the "Great Lick Refractor" or simply "Lick Refractor", it was the largest refracting telescope in the world until 1897, and now ranks third, after the 40-inch refractor at the Yerkes Observatory and the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope. (The many larger telescopes in use today are reflecting telescopes, with a mirror rather than lens as the major optical component.) The telescope is located at the University of California's Lick Observatory atop Mount Hamilton at an elevation of 1,283 metres (4,209 ft) above sea level. The instrument is housed inside a dome that is powered by hydraulic systems that raise and lower the floor, rotate the dome and drive the clock mechanism to track the Earth's rotation. The original hydraulic arrangement still operates today, with the exception that the original wind-powered pumps that once filled the reservoirs have been replaced with electric pumps. James Lick is entombed below the floor of the observing room of the telescope. Here are some excerpts from an 1894 book describing the telescope:

Construction

The fabrication of the two-element achromatic objective lens, the largest lens ever made at the time, caused years of delay. The famous large telescope maker Alvan Clark, was in charge of the optical design. He gave the contract for casting the high quality optical glass blanks, of a size never before attempted, to the firm of Charles Feil in Paris. One of the huge glass disks broke during shipping, and replacing it was delayed. Finally, after 18 failed attempts, the lens was finished, transported safely across country, and on December 31, 1887, was carefully installed in the telescope tube. The builders had to wait for three days for a break in the clouds to test it. On the evening of January 3, the telescope saw first light, and users found that the instrument could not be focused—an error in the estimation of the lens' focal length had caused the tube to be built too long. A hacksaw was procured, the great tube was unceremoniously cut back to the proper length and the star Aldebaran came into focus.

Contemporaries on debut

Reflector (Metal mirror) or unknown Glass Reflector (Silver on glass mirror) Refractor (Lens)

See also List of largest optical telescopes in the 19th century

References

External links

Photographs of the James Lick telescope from the Lick Observatory Records Digital Archive, UC Santa Cruz Library's Digital Collections Archived May 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with James Lick telescope

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what James Lick telescope claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to James Lick telescope before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about James Lick telescope ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of James Lick telescope

In research: James Lick telescope appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses James Lick telescope in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: James Lick telescope is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Great refractors, Lick Observatory, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for James Lick telescope outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study James Lick telescope in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what James Lick telescope means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain James Lick telescope out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is James Lick telescope in simple terms?

The James Lick Telescope is a refracting telescope built in 1888. It has a lens, which is 91 centimetres (36 in) in diameter—a major achievement in its day.

Why does James Lick telescope matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study James Lick telescope?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on James Lick telescope.