The Amateur Telescope Maker

The Stellafane Convention is about telescope making.  The main event is on Saturday morning when people who have built telescopes display them on the main telescope field.  There is a judging for those who want to be judged, but for many, their main purpose is to display their handiwork for others to see.  I saw this young woman named Stefania and her telescope and asked her about it. It is her first telescope, and I commented on the fact that the telescope tube was segmented - it is an octagon - and that construction was wonderful and that I knew it took a lot more work to do it this way.  I mentioned that it required a lot of skill to get the bevels correct on each strip of wood, she said "Yes - the angles that I cut were 22 1/2 degrees!"   Wow!  Here is a young woman who is skilled at woodworking!  She was given an award, along with 3 other people, for displaying their very first telescope!  It is so heartening to see younger people building telescopes, and as the father of two daughters I applaud seeing a young woman who is so adept at woodworking.  

This is an overall view of the field where everyone was displaying their telescopes.  On the left is an historical telescope build on the Stellafane property back in the 1930's by members of the Springfield Telescope Makers.  Next year is the 80th anniversary of the Stellafane Convention!