Lick Observatory’s damaged telescope dome still open to elements as another rainstorm approaches

After Santa delivered big trouble to Lick Observatory — the iconic astronomy complex atop Mount Hamilton east of San Jose where ferocious winds early Christmas morning blasted open the steel dome sheltering a historic telescope — crews are still scrambling to protect the instrument and sensitive equipment from rain.

The Great Refractor telescope, which was built in the 1880s, helped shape modern astronomy, and still draws thousands of visitors each year. It’s been wrapped in black tarps...