Overview
- UC Santa Cruz says gusts up to 114 mph tore off roughly half of the Great Refractor dome’s shutter on Dec. 25.
- The detached, multi-ton section fell onto the Great Hall roof, crushing several structural beams.
- The 36-inch Great Refractor was not damaged, though its precision lenses and electrical systems are now exposed to rain.
- The observatory is closed to visitors while crews secure the building, assess repairs, and determine a reopening plan.
- No injuries were reported, and university officials call the wind damage the most serious in the observatory’s 137-year history.