The first permanent mountain-top observatory, established in 1888 at an altitude of 1,283 meters (4,169 feet) above sea-level on Mount Hamiliton in California, with financial backing from James Lick of San Francisco. It houses a 91-centimeter (36-inch) refractor, the second largest in the world after that at Yerkes Observatory. This instrument was used extensively at the turn of the century in the investigation of Mars. Other instruments include a 3-meter (120-inch) reflector and the 0.9-meter (36-inch) Crossley reflector. The observatory is run by the University of California at Santa Cruz.
