Lick Observatory, perched at 4,209 feet on Mount Hamilton in the Diablo Range, has been one of the world's premier astronomical facilities since it opened in 1888. The Nickel telescope joined the observatory's instrument collection in 1979, complementing larger telescopes with its versatility and availability for both research and educational programs. Its one-meter aperture makes it powerful enough for serious science while remaining manageable enough for the kind of long-term monitoring programs that require repeated observations over months or years.

One of the Nickel telescope's most significant contributions has been to supernova search programs. Astronomers use the telescope to systematically photograph galaxies and compare new images to older ones, looking for the sudden brightening that signals a star's explosive death. The Lick Observatory Supernova Search, conducted partly with the Nickel telescope, has discovered dozens of supernovae, contributing to the data that has refined our understanding of stellar evolution and the expansion of the universe. The telescope's location above the lights of Silicon Valley provides adequate sky conditions for this work, though light pollution has increased steadily since the observatory was founded.