Welcome..., to Dark Sky Observing.

Steven L. Aggas

I am an Engineer and have 19 patents with 3 more pending with my name on them. I've been into astronomy and scope building for over 25 years now, since 1981, starting with rebuilding the rickety mount of a 50mm refractor into a smooth motion scope (the finder-scope eyepiece was the best one that came with it so I modified the barrel to use it in the main scope).

I've built award winning telescopes over the years, recognized at Stellafane and Astrofest, and since then, have built other beautiful scopes to use, especially Elements in Harmony IV, the 36"f4.5.

My friends call me Mr. Wizard because I can pull objects at the threshold of vision out of the sky and into the eyepiece, it's like magic. It's more like good knowledge of the sky, decent star-hopping skills, and exceptional eyes, but I'm keeping that to myself... (don't tell 'em).

What's next? Using this scope. Will I build another, even bigger one? Maybe, but don't tell my wife Lori (she's the appropriations committee so she'll eventually find out I guess...).

What I'd really like to do now is provide visual descriptions of some of the objects in the sky for future observing guides. I really would have loved to provide input for the 'The Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies: A Chronicle and Observer's Guide' by Jeff Kanipe and Dennis Webb, or 'The Night Sky Observer's Guide' by George Kepple and Glen Sanner. If there is something like that going on, send me an email....