This is a site about not only this about our observatory, but about Self-Reliant Astronomy.
What is “Self Reliant Astronomy“?
It’s a term I’ve coined to describe people in this hobby who DO and don’t wait around for permission or factory-made solutions to things to appear. They create their own unique solutions and mix the factory made with the homemade.
I’m a big believer in doing it yourself instead of buying it if you can help it. So a lot of what appears on this site will be project related and supportive of our observatory and mission to get out and show others that a handicapped person can build, operate and maintain a good working observatory.
John Dobson was the creator of the Dobsonian telescope mount and someone who very much typified the kind of person who is a Doer and not a Talker although his public talks and classes are legendary. He made telescopes and mounts out of anything he could get his hands on. He innovated and now entire industries revolve around his ideas.
Vendors are great and necessary, but they can’t do everything. And Astronomy is built around Doers. If you can build it yourself, do so. If you can take a ready made solution and improve it, go for it.
That is the spirit here for this site and will be the foundation for our observatory and everything that goes on here.
— Jon