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Astronomer John Dobson MotorHome

Educated in chemistry at UC Berkeley, John Dobson worked in the Berkeley Radiation Lab during WWII. In 1944, John became a Rama krisna monk. He began building telescopes, using materials he scrounged, and he would take his telescopes out in public, and invite people to look through them. He pioneered a type of telescope mount that has become known as the "Dobsonian telescope" and also pioneered the use of large thin mirrors. After 23 years at the monastery, he was expelled for his telecope activities. In 1968, he co-founded the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers club; and he and his followers set up telescopes in malls, parks and on the sidewalks of San Francisco, inviting the public to use the telescopes and teaching people how to make telescopes affordably. Today, the club has chapters from San Francisco to England. The fame and reputation of the Club led the Skaggs Foundation to award the Club a motor home so its members could share the night sky with the public; the above photo shows the motorhome in use at a national park. This motorhome and the exhibits contained therein were saved from destruction by the consignor in the 1980's. It would make a wonderful acquisition for one of the chapters of Sidewalk Astronomers or for an amateur astronomer. Needs some restoration but a wonderful piece of astronomical history. (Lot does not includes telescope shown next to motorhome) Buyer to pick up from Davis, CA.

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