Loma Prieta
Encyclopedia
Loma Prieta is a Northern California
mountain located in the Santa Cruz Mountains
. The peak is located on private property, about 11 miles (17.7 km) west of Morgan Hill
and within the boundaries of Santa Clara County
. The dirt road that leads to the summit is gated, but the tower maintainers generally do not mind hikers.
A rural area south and east of the summit is sometimes referred to as Casa Loma
, named for an unpaved road through the area. The name is unofficial but its use is supported by the existence of a Casa Loma Volunteer Fire Department in the area. Loma Chiquita Road also serves this general area near the Santa Cruz County
line.
From 1976 through 1990 amateur astronomer Donald Machholz
set up his telescope, an average of 120 times a year, on the south slope of this mountain to visually search for comets. From this site, he discovered three new comets that bear his name, including Periodic Comet Machholz 1 96P/Machholz
on May 12, 1986.
The first official West Coast Messier Marathon was conducted from this site in March 1979.
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
takes its name from the mountain since the epicenter was located near the mountain.
The mountain was the longtime site for the transmitter tower of San Jose television station KNTV
(from 1955 to 2005). It moved its transmitter to San Bruno Mountain
in September 2005, after it became the Bay Area's NBC
affiliate.
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
mountain located in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
. The peak is located on private property, about 11 miles (17.7 km) west of Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill, California
Morgan Hill is a city located in the southern part of Santa Clara County, California, United States. Founded on November 10, 1906, the city was named after Hiram Morgan Hill, a San Franciscan who built a country retreat home there in 1884...
and within the boundaries of Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
. The dirt road that leads to the summit is gated, but the tower maintainers generally do not mind hikers.
A rural area south and east of the summit is sometimes referred to as Casa Loma
Casa Loma, Santa Clara County, California
Casa Loma along with Loma Chiquita are private roads, in a rural area of Santa Clara County covering over 5,500 acres with an unofficial population of 175...
, named for an unpaved road through the area. The name is unofficial but its use is supported by the existence of a Casa Loma Volunteer Fire Department in the area. Loma Chiquita Road also serves this general area near the Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
line.
From 1976 through 1990 amateur astronomer Donald Machholz
Donald Machholz
Donald Edward Machholz, born October 7, 1952 in Portsmouth, Virginia, is an American amateur astronomer from Colfax, California.He is the most successful living visual comet hunter in the United States, being...
set up his telescope, an average of 120 times a year, on the south slope of this mountain to visually search for comets. From this site, he discovered three new comets that bear his name, including Periodic Comet Machholz 1 96P/Machholz
96P/Machholz
Comet 96P/Machholz or 96P/Machholz 1 is a short-period comet discovered on May 12, 1986 by amateur astronomer Donald Machholz in Loma Prieta, California. Comet 96P/Machholz will next come to perihelion on July 14, 2012....
on May 12, 1986.
The first official West Coast Messier Marathon was conducted from this site in March 1979.
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
takes its name from the mountain since the epicenter was located near the mountain.
The mountain was the longtime site for the transmitter tower of San Jose television station KNTV
KNTV
KNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
(from 1955 to 2005). It moved its transmitter to San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain in northern San Mateo County, California is the northernmost part of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Most of the mountain lies within the San Bruno Mountain State Park, a unique open-space island in the midst of the San Francisco Peninsula's urbanization. Next to the state park is the...
in September 2005, after it became the Bay Area's NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate.