By the way, the famous Lick Observatory – on the summit of Mount Hamilton, California, roughly 20 miles (30 km) east of San Jose, California – was also being threatened by wildfires this week. Lick Observatory posted the video below on YouTube on August 20, 2020, saying:
The wildfire that ran through Lick Observatory and surrounding areas August 19 and 20 was captured by HamCam2. The extent of the fire around our main telescope domes is especially evident in the nighttime photos. CalFire did excellent work protecting the facility and we give them our wholehearted thanks for their efforts. The HamCam2 camera is mounted on the top of the Lick Observatory Main Building and points east. The fire reached the observatory grounds in the early afternoon August 19 and continues to affect the observatory and surrounding areas the morning of August 20.
Fortunately, the fires around Lick Observatory now appear to be under control. For updates, visit Lick Observatory’s Facebook page:
Bottom line: Photos of vivid sunrises and sunsets, caused by smoke in the air from wildfires in the North American West.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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