La Noche de las Estrellas

What is LA noche?

La Noche de las Estrellas (LNDLE) is a pioneering visitors night for the Spanish-speaking community at Lick Observatory. This event will host approximately 100 high school students and family members from high schools in the Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. These are schools where UCSC has close connections thanks to the work of MESA Schools Program, which is Lick’s partner in this endeavor. This event is by invitation only. To register, go the the registration page under the "La Noche 2018" tab.

History of Lick observatory

Lick is a historic astronomical observatory founded by California entrepreneur James Lick. It opened its doors in 1888 showcasing the 36-inch refractor, a marvel of 19th century engineering and the largest telescope in the world at that time. Other telescopes were built over the years, including the 36-inch Crossley reflector, where modern Astrophotography was invented, a modern 40-inch reflector, the 120-inch Shane reflector built in 1958, and the 96-inch Automated Planet-Finder telescope, a fully robotic telescope devoted to discovering extrasolar planets. Lick is a leading research facility, and its telescopes are used nightly by astronomers at eight University of California campuses. The headquarters is located at the University of Calfornia Santa Cruz (UCSC). It also hosts viewing opportunities where members of the public can come tour the facilities, hear lectures, and look through the 36-inch refractor.


Event Activities

Students and parents will participate in the following activities:

    • A lecture (in Spanish) on the origin of gold from Professor Enrico Ramirez Ruiz of UC Santa Cruz
    • A lecture (in Spanish) on the history of Lick Observatory from Professor Jesus Gonzalez of the National Observatory of Mexico
    • Telescope viewings after dark through the Lick Observatory's 36" Refractor and 40" Nickel telescopes
    • Be hosted all evening by a Group Guide who is fluent in Spanish and who can tell you about being an undergraduate science major at UC Santa Cruz
    • Talk with Astronomy enthusiasts and look through their telescopes
    • Meet renowned astronomers: Prof. Emerita Sandra Faber (UCSC and UCO/Lick) and Prof. Emeritus David Koo (UCSC and UCO/Lick)
    • Meet dignitaries from the San Francisco and San Jose Mexican Consulates
    • Learn about the college application and financial aid process
    • Purchase cool Lick Observatory mementos in the gift shop


Cost of Attendance

This event is FREE to all participating students and family members including: transportation, food, snacks, and viewing.

What to Bring

    • Jacket
    • Camera-- A cell phone works just as well, but may have poor reception on the mountain.
    • Binoculars or a small telescope if you have one.
    • Download the sky viewing application on your phone. We will recommend one.

The Road to Lick

As students board the vans, they will be given their Students With Academic Goals (SWAG) Bags. Since the road to Lick is curvy, SWAG bags contain car sickness bags.