Six decades of observing

Thomas P. Busemeyer

May 20, 2013

At age 18 in 1950 I purchased my first telescope--a 4" aperature Edmund Scientific reflector. What absolute joy it brought to my eyes!

Some years later I viewed beautiful Saturn through a star party member's 8 inch homemade reflector. I was struck enlightened (if not dumb). I later purchased a Goto Mfg. Co. 60 mm refractor ---a true jewel which set me to start a log book of observed items which I still keep up using my Meade ETX 125 in my home built 8'-0" diameter domed observatory.

Having gotten a BS in architecture at the University of Cincinnati (1958) my senior thesis, which I still have, was a self -contained base on the Moon, delivered by a single rocket. Remember I was an architect not a space engineer so there were a lot of assumptions.

My current project is logging double stars within the limitations of trees, light pollution and my 80-year-old body, and having only one eye since about mid 2012.

I watch the NASA TV channel on a regular basis and have a display of models of space vehicles from Saturn V to the present.

Given more years of life and good health, I'll keep on keeping on.

Comments:

D. Wayne Dworsky: 08/16/2013 11:49 CDT

Keep watching, Thomas. There's nothing more exciting than look at the universe head-on. I am hoping to buy my first telescope. I am looking for an 8 inch meade. See you in the galaxy.