Sidewalk Astronomy


john-dobson2Ask John Dobson, founder of the Sidewalk Astronomers, how he became interested in astronomy and he’ll answer, “I was born!” People have a natural fascination with the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, but to most it’s something they read about in a magazine or see on television.

Our club members hit the sidewalks armed with fascinating facts and cool telescopes. We stop people on sidewalks and let them see the craters of the Moon, the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, or the spots on the Sun. For just a moment, they have a personal connection with the universe around them, and sometimes life seems a little better after that. We call it “urban guerilla astronomy”.

John Dobson has made it his personal mission in life that everyone have a chance to see the Universe as it actually is, and to perhaps better understand it. He invented his own style of telescope – the Dobsonian telescope – as a means toward his goal. The Dobsonian telescope is distinguished by its ease of use, ease of construction, and low cost.

Interested in joining us? Being a Sidewalk Astronomer isn’t really about “joining” anything – it’s about embracing a philosophy and acting on it.

  • Want to see us in action? It’s fun, free, and open to the public. Come out and look through our telescopes on any of these dates.  All you need is a set of eyeballs.