John Dobson, Of the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers Photos from the famous Amateur Astronomer and Telescope Inventor's visit to Kopernik Observatory & Science Education Center, Oct. 3rd & 4th, 1997 John Dobson is perhaps the most influential and well known amateur astronomer of the age. He appeared in PBS’s The Astronomers, and he invented the low cost but highly effective Dobsonian type telescope that bears his name. We and our visitors were lucky to have him as the main speaker at our annual AstroFest in 1997.

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John talked at both Kopernik and the Roberson Museum and Science Center. Using his theater-in-the-round, question-&-answer style, he thrilled our members and visitors with his unique insight into astronomy, cosmology, and telescope making. John covered his invention of the "so-called Dobsonian" telescope, and his recommendations on the "best telescopes" for planetary, and deep sky observing, from both the city and rural locations. He told of the activities of the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers in bringing astronomy to everyone, and using humor and sweeping analogies, he covered areas from galaxy formation, to super nova explosions. As usual, he was at his most controversial, when he turned to cosmology and his doubts about the currently popular Big Bang theory for the origin of the Universe.

John Dobson holds the Big Bang in a paper bag!!

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George Normandin, KAS

December 7th, 1998