Who here had a good start in astronomy thanks to John Dobson?

Question

My first decent scope and renewed interest after years. Vale and thanks.

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

My start was a pair of 10x50 binoculars. But my little Skywatcher Heritage 76 is the third scope I've owned and the first I've made a decent amount of use out of. It's quite different to what Mr Dobson has in mind, but without the 'Dobsonian revolution' he started I doubt it would have been made.

Answer 2

Who is John Dobson?

I got interested in the sky when I was 9 years old, in 1957 when I and the rest of my cub scout den met up in a partially cleared corn field at 4AM to use a pair of binoculars to watch for Sputnik to go over lit by the soon to be rising sun. My older brother set up his ham radio gear so we could hear the signals. My mom and the other den mothers set up a cooking fire and made hot chocolate and breakfast for everyone. My dad took a long exposure of the sky and we got the track of Sputnik on film. Which started me into film and photography as well as sky watching.

Answer 3

Not directly. But John Dobson was the "Johnny Appleseed" of the heavens, and deserves to be remembered.

Answer 4

For me it was Sir Eric Dubay. I think Dodson's contribution has been overrated and is rather convoluted.

Answer 5

Who?