Space and Astronomy for Kids/Expert Profile

Expertise

I can answer most any astronomy or astronomical question, having been in the hobby for over 50 years now, and current owner of a 30 inch portable truss Newtonian telescope, one of the largest in the Eastern USA. I use a 6 inch f4 Antares Newtonian finderscope on the back of the 30 inch mirror box. No astrology questions please, or questions about alleged UFO identifications.

Experience in the area

Taught astronomy at the University level for 13 years as an adjunct instructor. Lifelong experience in hobby and subject for over 50 years now.

Organizations

President, Erie County Mobile Observers Group, Erie PA for over 15 years. Also Allexperts.com in catagory of astronomy for over 8 years.

Publications

Astronomy Technology Today; also wrote the "Over Erie Skies" articles for our local newspaper for over 10 years.

Education/Credentials

BS, Metallurgical Engineering, Grove City College, PA Master's degree, Gannon University, Erie, PA USA Also USAF Pilot, 20 years, retired.

Awards and Honors

Discoverer of the mini-coathanger asterism up in Ursa Minor, also the mini-dipper asterism in the bowl of the Little Dipper.

What do you like about this subject?

All other subjects.....History, English, Economics, Engineering, etc... deal only with this 8000 mile diameter Rock we live on. It's only the subject of astronomy that covers the other.... 99.999999+% of the Universe, so it's a mind-expanding subject to the....rest of our environment.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I hope to someday discover a new nova or new comet.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

When you are viewing a fuzzy, dim galaxy at 65 million lightyears distant, you are seeing light that left about the time the dinosaurs were dying out. Thus a telescope is a looking "back-in-time" machine.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Many people confuse the unit....lightyear....as a unit of time. It is not. It is a unit of distance. It's the distance light will travel in a vacuum in one year, equal to about 5.8 trillion miles. A year is a unit of time.