By Khalida Sarwari
The Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton is reducing its visitor center hours by closing the center for three days a week from today through the end of May.
The visitor center will be open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It will be closed Monday through Wednesday.
Beginning May 30, the center will again be open every day from noon to 5 p.m., through Sept. 5.
The observatory was established in 1888 and serves as a research facility for the University of California.
The reduction in hours was prompted by budget constraints, according to the University of California at Santa Cruz, which houses the headquarters of the research operation.