Legacy of light

Shrouded in snow on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in California’s Diablo Range, lies the world’s first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory. Constructed between 1876 and 1887, the Lick Observatory has been the site of significant discoveries including several of Jupiter’s moons and other planetary systems. If you’re wondering about that name – it’s a tribute to the American businessman James Lick, who set aside US $700,000 to build a facility that would be home to a “telescope superior to, and more powerful than, any telescope yet made”.
© Jeffrey Lewis/Tandem Stills + Motion