John Dobson passed away today :(

So sad

Rest in peace :( His telescopes designs are simply beautiful and very practical as well! I would like to think he got a personal tour of the Universe he was so devoted to, for his efforts.

R.I.P to a great man!




[link to www.flickr.com]

10 inch dob here!

"As for therest of the people ... keep your eyes open" ...

we will John... we will... and thank you for your service.

What an amazing journey he had, and to have given the world access to the Universe. Well done Mr.Dobson.

The Universe accepted a new star, even though i did not know much about Mr Dobson he will be missed. Condolences to the family.

Some links, the news finally hit.

[link to www.universetoday.com]


Dobson’s interest in astronomy started in the early 1950s when he built a small telescope using spare parts found in a junk store. He wanted to see for himself what the universe looked like. By 1956, John got a hold of a 12-inch slab of porthole glass and ground it into a mirror following instructions from Allyn J. Thompson’s classic book Making Your Own Telescope. His first look at the last quarter turned him into an astro-evangelist:

“It looks like you’re coming in for a landing,” he wrote in his own telescope making book many years later. From that moment on Dobson felt “that everybody who lives in this world has to see that.”
The writer with his 10-inch Dobsonian reflecting telescope. The scope comes in two pieces like John Dobson's original design - a cardboard tube with the optics that sits in a cradle. See photo below to see how a "Dob" works. Credit: Bob King

The writer with his 10-inch Dobsonian reflecting telescope. The scope breaks down into two pieces like John Dobson’s original design – a cardboard tube with the optics and a cradle. See photo below to see how a “Dob” works. Credit: Bob King

Toting beat-up, monster telescopes everywhere from downtown San Francisco and to national parks across the country, Dobson made good on his promise. He lectured widely on astronomy and cosmology, rejecting the Big Bang Theory for his own Recycling Steady State Theory.

Agree or not with his cosmology, Dobson shook up the amateur telescope making universe with an innovative telescope

[link to www.skyandtelescope.com]

John Dobson, 1915–2014
The long-lived master of sidewalk astronomy died peacefully on January 15th. Emerging from obscurity in 1968, he introduced simple ideas that revolutionized how amateurs make and use large reflecting telescopes.

John Dobson
John Dobson leaves behind him a legacy as a revolutionary telescope maker.
Jeffrey Jacobs
A simple notice appeared yesterday on the website of the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers: "It is with heavy hearts that we must report the passing of John Dobson. He died peacefully this morning, Wednesday, January 15th, in Burbank, California. He was 98 years old. He leaves behind a son, numerous close friends, and fans and admirers worldwide."

Ever since emerging from obscurity in 1968, when he left his order of Vedantan monks and founded the SFSA with

[link to earthsky.org]


R.I.P. John Dobson
John Dobson, 1915-2014 via Springfield Stars Club.
John Dobson, 1915-2014 via Springfield Stars Club.


John Dobson is a hero to all who love astronomy, telescopes, and astronomy for the public.

Ever heard of the Dobsonian telescope? Or of the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers? The amateur astronomer John Dobson – who founded the Sidewalk Astronomers and did so much more besides – died on January 15, 2014, leaving a legacy that’s sure to endure.

John Dobson is a hero to all who love astronomy, telescopes, and astronomy for the public. He’s been called the Pied Piper of Astronomy, and the Star Monk. As described in his bio on the website of the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers, he is:

[link to www.google.com (secure)]

Glad the news is finally catching up.

I knew JD when I was 19 and he was 53. He was the one who helped steer me in the right direction.

He was once a true love of mine.

Unique -- Always loving and teaching in a loving way to all.
I Miss Him So....

jkj

He was also memorialized in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

I had breakfast and lunch with him many times in recent years, and we spoke at length about cosmology. He's right.