ballaratdragons
16-04-2005, 01:18 AM
Tonight was the Night!
It was Ballarat's Astronomical Society's turn to have John Dobson as the special guest. And what a night it was!!!!
Only 26 of us there. The night started with a relaxed BBQ. Did I say relaxed? John Dobson turned up in carpenters overalls with the bum out of them! And hundreds of jokes.
After sitting around just gas-bagging about anything I asked John would he mind signing my telescope if he gets the chance (I took my OTA and black texta with me). He said "Yeah, let's go for a walk and do it now". So just he and I went for a stroll up to the carpark and talked about Australia, the Australian drought, and a dozen other subjects walking along at a snails pace (He is 89). We got to the car and he signed my scope, then he hung around the car just talking about anything. We spent probably 20 minutes enjoying conversation when a car load of visitors pulled in (they did not know it was a special night). John walked over and started talking to them. After they went down to the buildings John and I strolled back as it was nearly time for him to do his talk.
The talk itself became a floor show as he made the 'Know-alls' feel stupid and cracked more jokes, baffled the brilliant and made the beginner feel confident. He told stories that had nothing to do with astronomy and thoroughly entertained all of us.
Then the inevitable question came up from one of the members. 'How did the Dobsonian mount get your name?'
Here's Johns official answer: "My friends named it to annoy me. I am always complaining about how telescopes are named after people, you know, Cassegrain, Schmitt, Maksutov. So they started calling our portable mount 'Dobsonian' to annoy me cause I'm always complaining. It stuck. I didn't invent the mount or they would have been using the term 'Dobsonian Cannons' over a hundred years ago if I did."
It was a great night and we could tell that John enjoyed the relaxed, low key atmosphere after speaking to a huge crowd in Melbourne the night before. When I get tonights photos emailed to me I'll place them in here.
He certainly is an interesting fella!
It was Ballarat's Astronomical Society's turn to have John Dobson as the special guest. And what a night it was!!!!
Only 26 of us there. The night started with a relaxed BBQ. Did I say relaxed? John Dobson turned up in carpenters overalls with the bum out of them! And hundreds of jokes.
After sitting around just gas-bagging about anything I asked John would he mind signing my telescope if he gets the chance (I took my OTA and black texta with me). He said "Yeah, let's go for a walk and do it now". So just he and I went for a stroll up to the carpark and talked about Australia, the Australian drought, and a dozen other subjects walking along at a snails pace (He is 89). We got to the car and he signed my scope, then he hung around the car just talking about anything. We spent probably 20 minutes enjoying conversation when a car load of visitors pulled in (they did not know it was a special night). John walked over and started talking to them. After they went down to the buildings John and I strolled back as it was nearly time for him to do his talk.
The talk itself became a floor show as he made the 'Know-alls' feel stupid and cracked more jokes, baffled the brilliant and made the beginner feel confident. He told stories that had nothing to do with astronomy and thoroughly entertained all of us.
Then the inevitable question came up from one of the members. 'How did the Dobsonian mount get your name?'
Here's Johns official answer: "My friends named it to annoy me. I am always complaining about how telescopes are named after people, you know, Cassegrain, Schmitt, Maksutov. So they started calling our portable mount 'Dobsonian' to annoy me cause I'm always complaining. It stuck. I didn't invent the mount or they would have been using the term 'Dobsonian Cannons' over a hundred years ago if I did."
It was a great night and we could tell that John enjoyed the relaxed, low key atmosphere after speaking to a huge crowd in Melbourne the night before. When I get tonights photos emailed to me I'll place them in here.
He certainly is an interesting fella!