Key Takeaways:
- John Dobson, born in 1915, relocated to San Francisco from Beijing in 1927.
- Following a period as a monk within the Ramakrishna Order (1944-1967), Dobson cultivated a passion for astronomy.
- He is credited with inventing the Dobsonian telescope mount, characterized by its simplicity and affordability.
- Dobson dedicated a significant portion of his life to promoting amateur astronomy through telescope-making workshops and public outreach initiatives, including co-founding the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers.
On Sept. 14, 1915, John Dobson was born in Bejing. His family moved to San Francisco to avoid political turmoil in China in 1927, and Dobson went on to attend the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in chemistry. Then, in 1944, he entered the Ramakrishna Order. During his 23 years as a monk, Dobson’s personal interest in astronomy grew. He built his first telescope in 1956, and was so moved by the views through it that “Everybody’s got to see this” would become a guiding principle for the rest of his life. His invention of the simple and economical Dobsonian telescope mount and his co-founding of the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers would go a long way toward helping realize that principle. After leaving the monastery in 1967, Dobson spent most of the rest of his life traveling to teach telescope-making and share his enthusiasm for amateur astronomy and public outreach events. He passed away at age 98 on Jan. 15, 2014.
