Telescopes and 'Places' ...

[Sarah90]

Oh gosh oh golly...Who's coming to Oz ?  John DOBSON !!!  That's Who !!! ...fer goodness' sake !!!

Dear members
 
As some of you have already heard, John Dobson, the person after whom the Dobsonian Telescope was named, may be visiting Australia and New Zealand in March / April this year.
 
A number of Astronomical Societies in Australia and NZ have expressed a keen interest in sponsoring John Dobson's visit. Discussions are presently in progress and we hope to have an schedule finalised in the next few days. If the visit goes ahead, John will be our guest speaker at the meeting scheduled for 18 March.
 
In order that we can finalise planning of John Dobson's visit, each society is asking for volunteers from its members to provide accommodation and company for John Dobson during his visit.
 
At this stage, it is expected that John Dobson will be arriving in Australia on Wednesday 16 March, talking to ASNSW on Friday 18 March and then to Sutherland Astronomical Society on 24 March.

Crikey ! Am in all of a dither !!!

Meanwhile, he was born in Peking/Beijing in 1915  ! ...and much more on his personal  history inbetween...but...his telescopes ... (here and in this place)...  well, guess I can't believe he's coming here.  (No 'smiley' fer this one !)

[Skyjim]

I saw John a couple of weeks ago at the Einstein Exhibit I'm working.  We've met many times over the years, I took a mirror-making class from him, and I've driven him places and camped out and hiked with him in Death Valley, but he wasn't sure who I was - not sure if his memory is a little less sharp than it used to be, or if I'm just not that memorable.  John requires and expects to be treated like a STAR, though not in the sense of material luxuries, rather in getting him from place to place and doing little things for him.  He normally finds adoring folks to do these things, although occasionally it can wear thin - he can be a little hard on adults.  With kids he is usually wonderful. 

His cosmology tends towards the semi-mystical and will likely sound pretty fuzzy to any hard science types in the audience.  He's a dogged opponent of Big Bang cosmology and claims his ideas are looking better and better.  Doesn't appear that way to me, but I enjoy John's thoughts all the same. 

Jim

[Sarah90]

Skyjim: Thanks for that info !