Reflecting Telescope
date: label: Date made
content: 1988
name: label: inventor
content: Dobson, John L.
label: maker
content: Coulter Optical Co.
notes: label: Description
content: Reflecting telescope made in the 1980s as part of the "Dobsonian revolution" in amateur astronomy.
label: Description
content: John Dobson began developing this form in 1956. At the time he was living in a monastery in San Francisco, working as a gardener. Although he had a degree in chemistry, Dobson had always been interested in spiritual issues. Seeking a way to experience a fundamental reality, he became obsessed with seeing the "deep sky"—the distant realm of nebula and galaxies.
label: Description
content: Unfortunately, to actually see these astronomical objects required large telescopes that were generally only available to astronomers and were too expensive for many people, and especially for Dobson, who had taken a vow of poverty.
label: Description
content: Undeterred, Dobson began teaching himself telescope making. In time he developed a new telescope design and a new approach to telescope making. Compared to the typical amateur telescope of the time, what came to be known as the "Dobsonian" telescopes were large, easy to use, inexpensive, and portable. They were also easy to make. The mirrors were ground from simple porthole glass. The mounts were made from common construction materials. Although comparatively crude, these strange new telescopes worked. Thrilled by his success, Dobson put them on wheels and pulled them around the streets of San Francisco, offering to show the wonders of the sky to anyone he met.
label: Description
content: Around 1967 Dobson helped found the Sidewalk Astronomers. They became famous for touring the United States, setting up their telescopes (affectionately known as "light buckets") and inviting passers-by to look through them. Telescope design continues to evolve and today the majority of amateur telescopes (like this one) are precise and commercially made. However, many active amateur astronomers credit an early encounter with a Dobsonian for starting their interest in astronomy and changing the way they view the sky.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: California, Idyllwild
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Sports & Leisure
label: See more items in
content: Measuring & Mapping
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Dr. Ronald S. Wilkinson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1994.0399.01
label: accession number
content: 1994.0399
label: catalog number
content: 1994.0399.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: telescope, reflecting (Dobsonian)
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 70 in x 18 in x 19 in; 177.8 cm x 45.72 cm x 48.26 cm