Lick observatory. Conceptual artwork of a galaxy, planets and a comet over the domes of the Lick observatory. This observatory, on Mount Hamilton in California, USA, was completed in 1888. It was the world's first permanent mountaintop observatory, at an altitude of 1280 metres. The observatory comprises several domes, each housing a telescope, including the 3 metre Shane reflector and the historic 91 centimetre Crossley reflector. It is operated by the University of California, USA, being used mainly in the hunt for extrasolar planets, such as those seen in front of the galaxy at upper right.