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The Borrowed Telescope

Sources

The sources for Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, grouped by part, each marked with the kind of evidence that part mostly takes from it.

record from the time76
someone who was there30
his own account160
a later writer114

Part 1. Peking and San Francisco: a missionary family and the moons of Jupiter

A Sidewalk Astronomer
A Sidewalk Astronomer (film, dir. Jeffrey Fox Jacobs, 2005), from the distributor’s published transcript (paraphrased).
his own account
American Journal of Public Health 1931
American Journal of Public Health, vol. 21 no. 1 (January 1931), “New Members”.
record from the time
Anecdotes
John Dobson, “Memories” (anecdotes), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Astronomie Heute 2005
Astronomie Heute, October 2005: editorial, p. 3, and Stefan Seip, “Der Grandseigneur der Sterngucker”, pp. 52-55 (in German).
record from the time
Bakich 2014
Michael E. Bakich, “Astronomy popularizer John Dobson dies”, Astronomy.com, 16 January 2014.
a later writer
Campbell 2004
Brett Campbell, “The Father of Street-Corner Stargazing”, Wall Street Journal, 1 September 2004, p. D10.
a later writer
Chinese Recorder 1915
The Chinese Recorder, vol. 46 no. 10 (October 1915), Missionary Journal, “Births”, p. 653.
record from the time
Chinese Recorder 1919
The Chinese Recorder, October 1919, Missionary Journal, “Arrivals”.
record from the time
Christian Leader 1940
Helen Benner, “Asilomar Leadership Training Conference”, The Christian Leader, vol. 122 no. 27 (6 July 1940), pp. 638-639.
record from the time
Club biography
“John Dobson: A Brief Biography”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
a later writer
Cosmological Fossils
John Dobson, “Cosmological Fossils”, undated essay, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Cosmology class 8
John Dobson, cosmology class 8, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, edited
F. Owen Hoffman, interview with John Dobson, 31 July 2004, Crater Lake Institute oral history, edited by Stephen R. Mark (December 2005).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, transcript
F. Owen Hoffman’s own transcript of the same 31 July 2004 interview, posted before the edit.
his own account
England And Ireland 2002
John Dobson, “England And Ireland”, trip report, 2002, sidewalkastronomers.us.
his own account
Film press biography
Press biography for the film A Sidewalk Astronomer (2005), telescopepictures.com.
a later writer
Harvard Graduates’ Magazine 1919
The Harvard Graduates’ Magazine, September 1919, “Bussey Institution - Graduate School of Applied Biology”.
record from the time
History 1803
John Dobson, “History 1803”, signed Hollywood, 2004, sidewalkastronomers.us.
his own account
LA Times 2005
Hugo Martin, “Astronomer a star in his profession”, Los Angeles Times, 2005.
a later writer
LA Times obituary 2014
Elaine Woo, obituary of John Dobson, Los Angeles Times, January 2014.
a later writer
Levy 1995
David H. Levy, “Walden of the Sky”, Sky & Telescope, September 1995, p. 84.
a later writer
Lowell centennial book
Lowell High School, Red and White, Centennial Edition 1856-1956 (class lists and faculty rolls).
a later writer
Lowell yearbook 1941
Lowell High School, Red and White, Spring 1941.
record from the time
Lowell yearbooks 1932, 1938
Lowell High School, Red and White, June 1932 and Spring 1938.
record from the time
Mayer 1980
Ben Mayer, “Astronomy on the Sidewalk” (interview with John Dobson), Astronomy, April 1980, pp. 24-28.
his own account
Memoir 3
John Dobson, “Memoir 3”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Methodist Board reports
Annual reports of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for the years 1910 to 1922.
record from the time
Methodist Year Book 1911
The Methodist Year Book 1911, missionaries sent out or appointed on the field, November 1909 to October 1910.
record from the time
Missions directory 1920-21
Directory of Protestant Missions in China, 1920 and 1921 editions.
record from the time
Moser 1989
Don Moser, “John Dobson, the celestial Pied Piper”, Smithsonian, April 1989, pp. 102-110.
a later writer
Music teachers’ bulletin 1949
Bulletin of the Music Teachers National Association, vol. 14 no. 3 (1949); read as a search snippet only.
record from the time
Northeastern catalogue 1918-19
Northeastern College (Boston), catalogues for 1918-1919.
record from the time
NYT obituary 2014
Douglas Martin, obituary of John Dobson, New York Times News Service, January 2014.
a later writer
Oregonian 2003
Richard Hill, “Telescopic Visionary”, The Oregonian, April 2003.
a later writer
PATS talk 2008
John Dobson, “Einstein’s Geometry”, talk at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, 14 September 2008 (recording).
his own account
Peking University book 1921
A promotional volume for Peking University with its staff lists for 1920-21 (1921; Cornell University Library copy, title supplied by the cataloguer).
record from the time
Peking Who’s Who
The Peking Who’s Who, 1922 and 1924 editions.
record from the time
Perlman 2000
David Perlman, “A Star Among Astronomers”, San Francisco Chronicle, about December 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
a later writer
Pictures (draft)
John Dobson, “Pictures (draft)”, essay of the 1990s, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
SF Chronicle obituary 2014
David Perlman, obituary of John Dobson, San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate), January 2014.
a later writer
SF directories
Polk’s Crocker-Langley San Francisco City Directory (R. L. Polk), yearly volumes, 1929 to 1966.
record from the time
Space.com 2000
Space.com profile of John Dobson, May 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
his own account
Space.com obituary 2014
Mark Thompson, obituary of John Dobson, Space.com, January 2014.
a later writer
Sullivant 2001
Rosemary Sullivant, “On the Road with John Dobson”, Astronomy, September 2001.
a later writer
The Astronomers 1991
The Astronomers (KCET/PBS, 1991), episode 1, “Where Is the Rest of the Universe?” (recording).
his own account
The Telescope Man
“JD: The Telescope Man”, documentary short, undated (recording).
his own account
Who’s Who in American Methodism 1916
Who’s Who in American Methodism (1916), entry “Lowry, Rev. Hiram Harrison”, p. 130.
a later writer
Wikipedia, Lowry
“Hiram Harrison Lowry”, Wikipedia (revision of 2026).
a later writer

Part 2. Berkeley and San Francisco: the Swami’s lecture, the war work and joining the monastery

A Sidewalk Astronomer
A Sidewalk Astronomer (film, dir. Jeffrey Fox Jacobs, 2005), from the distributor’s published transcript (paraphrased).
his own account
Astronomy review 1991
Review of John Dobson, How and Why to Make a User-Friendly Sidewalk Telescope, “Astronomy Books”, Astronomy, November 1991.
a later writer
Cosmology class 4
John Dobson, cosmology class 4, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 5
John Dobson, cosmology class 5, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 6
John Dobson, cosmology class 6, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 9
John Dobson, cosmology class 9, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, edited
F. Owen Hoffman, interview with John Dobson, 31 July 2004, Crater Lake Institute oral history, edited by Stephen R. Mark (December 2005).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, transcript
F. Owen Hoffman’s own transcript of the same 31 July 2004 interview, posted before the edit.
his own account
Eugene Weekly 2004
“Seeing Stars”, Eugene Weekly, 15 July 2004.
a later writer
Film press biography
Press biography for the film A Sidewalk Astronomer (2005), telescopepictures.com.
a later writer
LA Times 2005
Hugo Martin, “Astronomer a star in his profession”, Los Angeles Times, 2005.
a later writer
Levy 1995
David H. Levy, “Walden of the Sky”, Sky & Telescope, September 1995, p. 84.
a later writer
Memoir 3
John Dobson, “Memoir 3”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Miller and Lieberman 1998
Leta E. Miller and Fredric Lieberman, Lou Harrison: Composing a World (1998); read as search snippets only.
a later writer
Moser 1989
Don Moser, “John Dobson, the celestial Pied Piper”, Smithsonian, April 1989, pp. 102-110.
a later writer
Moser 2005
Don Moser, “35 Who Made a Difference: John Dobson”, Smithsonian, November 2005.
a later writer
Oregonian 2003
Richard Hill, “Telescopic Visionary”, The Oregonian, April 2003.
a later writer
Orwell newsletter 2002
Neil Morley, on his visit to Orwell Park Observatory, 29 September 2002, Orwell Astronomical Society newsletter, November 2002.
a later writer
PATS talk 2008
John Dobson, “Einstein’s Geometry”, talk at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, 14 September 2008 (recording).
his own account
Perlman 2000
David Perlman, “A Star Among Astronomers”, San Francisco Chronicle, about December 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
a later writer
Physics and Vedanta 2002
John Dobson, “Physics And Vedanta” (copyright 2002), sidewalkastronomers.us.
his own account
Regas 2014
Dean Regas, “The Astronomer Who Showed Us the Sky”, HuffPost, 2014 (from his 2005 interview).
his own account
Sacramento Union 1964-66
Sacramento Daily Union items on the Vedanta Society’s Carmichael center, November 1964 to April 1966 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
SF directories
Polk’s Crocker-Langley San Francisco City Directory (R. L. Polk), yearly volumes, 1929 to 1966.
record from the time
Shields, club page
Jim Shields, “Astronomy for Children Under 80 - Adventures with John Dobson”, undated, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
a later writer
Smyth Report 1945
Henry DeWolf Smyth, Atomic Energy for Military Purposes (the Smyth Report), US government, August 1945, chapter XI, “Electromagnetic Separation of Uranium Isotopes”.
record from the time
Space.com 2000
Space.com profile of John Dobson, May 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
a later writer
SRV Association 2014
SRV Association, “In Memoriam: John Dobson”, srv.org, 2014.
his own account
Sullivant 2001
Rosemary Sullivant, “On the Road with John Dobson”, Astronomy, September 2001.
a later writer
The Astronomers 1991
The Astronomers (KCET/PBS, 1991), episode 1, “Where Is the Rest of the Universe?” (recording).
his own account
Vedanta Society of Sacramento
Vedanta Society of Sacramento, “Our Story” and “Resident Swamis” (web pages).
a later writer
Wikipedia
“John Dobson (amateur astronomer)”, Wikipedia (revision of 2026).
a later writer

Part 3. San Francisco: the monastery on Webster Street and the first telescope

1950 census
1950 United States census, San Francisco, enumeration district 38-479, sheet 1, lines 23 to 27 (National Archives; our reading of the handwritten sheet).
record from the time
A Sidewalk Astronomer
A Sidewalk Astronomer (film, dir. Jeffrey Fox Jacobs, 2005), from the distributor’s published transcript (paraphrased).
his own account
Anecdotes
John Dobson, “Memories” (anecdotes), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
AP, 24 Feb 1980
Associated Press, “In Quest Of The Heavens”, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 24 February 1980, p. 79 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
his own account
Campbell 2004
Brett Campbell, “The Father of Street-Corner Stargazing”, Wall Street Journal, 1 September 2004, p. D10.
a later writer
Contra Costa Times 1969
Vicki Allen, “John Dobson Helps People See The Moon”, Contra Costa Times, 12 February 1969, p. 16A (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
his own account
Coriolis 2002
John Dobson, “Coriolis”, signed 16 July 2002, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Cosmology class 4
John Dobson, cosmology class 4, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 8
John Dobson, cosmology class 8, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 9
John Dobson, cosmology class 9, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, edited
F. Owen Hoffman, interview with John Dobson, 31 July 2004, Crater Lake Institute oral history, edited by Stephen R. Mark (December 2005).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, transcript
F. Owen Hoffman’s own transcript of the same 31 July 2004 interview, posted before the edit.
his own account
Einstein’s Geometry (essay)
John Dobson, “Einstein’s Geometry”, undated essay written after 2004, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Eugene Weekly 2004
“Seeing Stars”, Eugene Weekly, 15 July 2004.
a later writer
Faith 2004
John Dobson, “Faith”, signed Hollywood, 13 March 2004, sidewalkastronomers.us.
his own account
Film press biography
Press biography for the film A Sidewalk Astronomer (2005), telescopepictures.com.
a later writer
LA Times 2005
Hugo Martin, “Astronomer a star in his profession”, Los Angeles Times, 2005.
a later writer
Levy 1995
David H. Levy, “Walden of the Sky”, Sky & Telescope, September 1995, p. 84.
a later writer
Mayer 1980
Ben Mayer, “Astronomy on the Sidewalk” (interview with John Dobson), Astronomy, April 1980, pp. 24-28.
his own account
Memoir 1
John Dobson, “Memoir 1”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Memoir 2
John Dobson, “Memoir 2”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Memoir 3
John Dobson, “Memoir 3”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Moser 1989
Don Moser, “John Dobson, the celestial Pied Piper”, Smithsonian, April 1989, pp. 102-110.
a later writer
NYT obituary 2014
Douglas Martin, obituary of John Dobson, New York Times News Service, January 2014.
a later writer
Oregonian 2003
Richard Hill, “Telescopic Visionary”, The Oregonian, April 2003.
his own account
Perlman 2000
David Perlman, “A Star Among Astronomers”, San Francisco Chronicle, about December 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
a later writer
Planetary Radio 2012
Planetary Radio, Mat Kaplan, “A Conversation With Telescope Inventor John Dobson”, recorded 4 August 2012, broadcast 10 September 2012 (recording).
his own account
Regas 2014
Dean Regas, “The Astronomer Who Showed Us the Sky”, HuffPost, 2014 (from his 2005 interview).
his own account
Scott 2010
Phil Scott, “It’s All Sawdust and Mirrors”, Air & Space, 30 June 2010.
his own account
SF Chronicle obituary 2014
David Perlman, obituary of John Dobson, San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate), January 2014.
a later writer
SF directories
Polk’s Crocker-Langley San Francisco City Directory (R. L. Polk), yearly volumes, 1929 to 1966.
record from the time
Sky at Night 2006
Interview with John Dobson, BBC Sky at Night Magazine, December 2006.
his own account
Smithsonian catalogue
National Museum of American History, catalogue entry for a Coulter Optical Dobsonian telescope (object 1994.0399.01).
a later writer
Space.com 2000
Space.com profile of John Dobson, May 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
a later writer
Stavig 2019
Gopal Stavig, “Ramakrishna-Vedanta in Southern California”, part VIII, “John Dobson” (2019).
a later writer
Telescope Making 1983
“Dobson on Dobsonians”, his Riverside talk of May 1983, Telescope Making no. 20, pp. 43ff.
his own account
The Astronomers 1991
The Astronomers (KCET/PBS, 1991), episode 1, “Where Is the Rest of the Universe?” (recording).
his own account
The Night Sky
The Night Sky, episode 4, “Conversation with John Dobson”, JPL Public Education Office, 1990s (recording).
his own account
Times obituary 2014
Obituary of John Dobson, The Times (London), 28 January 2014.
a later writer
Vedanta Society of Sacramento
Vedanta Society of Sacramento, “Our Story” and “Resident Swamis” (web pages).
a later writer
Wikipedia
“John Dobson (amateur astronomer)”, Wikipedia (revision of 2026).
a later writer

Part 4. Sacramento: the street telescopes and leaving the monastery

A Sidewalk Astronomer
A Sidewalk Astronomer (film, dir. Jeffrey Fox Jacobs, 2005), from the distributor’s published transcript (paraphrased).
his own account
Anecdotes
John Dobson, “Memories” (anecdotes), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Brown 2001
Shelley Brown, Centred in Truth: the Story of Swami Nitya-swarup-ananda (2001); captions read as search snippets only.
a later writer
Club biography
“John Dobson: A Brief Biography”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
a later writer
Contra Costa Times 1969
Vicki Allen, “John Dobson Helps People See The Moon”, Contra Costa Times, 12 February 1969, p. 16A (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, edited
F. Owen Hoffman, interview with John Dobson, 31 July 2004, Crater Lake Institute oral history, edited by Stephen R. Mark (December 2005).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, transcript
F. Owen Hoffman’s own transcript of the same 31 July 2004 interview, posted before the edit.
his own account
Dobson 1973
John Dobson, “A Simple Design for Building Large Reflectors”, Celestial Observer 4:3, July-September 1973, p. 11.
his own account
Film press biography
Press biography for the film A Sidewalk Astronomer (2005), telescopepictures.com.
a later writer
Herald and News 2004
Lee Juillerat, “Pied Piper of Astronomy”, Herald and News (Klamath Falls), July 2004.
a later writer
J., 19 Jan 1968
“S.F. Star Gazers Make Their Own Telescopes”, J. The Jewish News of Northern California, 19 January 1968 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
LA Times 2005
Hugo Martin, “Astronomer a star in his profession”, Los Angeles Times, 2005.
a later writer
LA Times obituary 2014
Elaine Woo, obituary of John Dobson, Los Angeles Times, January 2014.
a later writer
Levy 1995
David H. Levy, “Walden of the Sky”, Sky & Telescope, September 1995, p. 84.
a later writer
Listings
Class, event and broadcast listings in California newspapers, 1968 to 2001 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Mayer 1980
Ben Mayer, “Astronomy on the Sidewalk” (interview with John Dobson), Astronomy, April 1980, pp. 24-28.
his own account
Memoir 3
John Dobson, “Memoir 3”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Moser 1989
Don Moser, “John Dobson, the celestial Pied Piper”, Smithsonian, April 1989, pp. 102-110.
a later writer
NYT obituary 2014
Douglas Martin, obituary of John Dobson, New York Times News Service, January 2014.
a later writer
Oregonian 2003
Richard Hill, “Telescopic Visionary”, The Oregonian, April 2003.
his own account
Orwell newsletter 2002
Neil Morley, on his visit to Orwell Park Observatory, 29 September 2002, Orwell Astronomical Society newsletter, November 2002.
a later writer
PATS talk 2008
John Dobson, “Einstein’s Geometry”, talk at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, 14 September 2008 (recording).
his own account
Regas 2014
Dean Regas, “The Astronomer Who Showed Us the Sky”, HuffPost, 2014 (from his 2005 interview).
a later writer
Reilly 2009
Doug Reilly, “Obscene Astronomy and Street-Smart Stargazing”, Utne Reader online, 2009.
a later writer
Riverside talk, web text
“Dobson on Dobsonians”, transcript of his 1983 Riverside talk, sidewalkastronomers.us.
his own account
Sacramento Union 1964-66
Sacramento Daily Union items on the Vedanta Society’s Carmichael center, November 1964 to April 1966 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
SF Chronicle obituary 2014
David Perlman, obituary of John Dobson, San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate), January 2014.
a later writer
Sky at Night 2006
Interview with John Dobson, BBC Sky at Night Magazine, December 2006.
his own account
Space.com 2000
Space.com profile of John Dobson, May 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
his own account
Space.com obituary 2014
Mark Thompson, obituary of John Dobson, Space.com, January 2014.
a later writer
SRV Association 2014
SRV Association, “In Memoriam: John Dobson”, srv.org, 2014.
a later writer
Stavig 2019
Gopal Stavig, “Ramakrishna-Vedanta in Southern California”, part VIII, “John Dobson” (2019).
a later writer
Sullivant 2001
Rosemary Sullivant, “On the Road with John Dobson”, Astronomy, September 2001.
a later writer
Telescope Building film
Telescope Building with John Dobson, instructional film, about 1992 (recording).
his own account
Telescope Making 1979
Telescope Making no. 4, Summer 1979.
record from the time
Telescope Making 1983
“Dobson on Dobsonians”, his Riverside talk of May 1983, Telescope Making no. 20, pp. 43ff.
his own account
The Astronomers 1991
The Astronomers (KCET/PBS, 1991), episode 1, “Where Is the Rest of the Universe?” (recording).
his own account
Vedanta Society of Sacramento
Vedanta Society of Sacramento, “Our Story” and “Resident Swamis” (web pages).
a later writer
Wikipedia
“John Dobson (amateur astronomer)”, Wikipedia (revision of 2026).
a later writer

Part 5. San Francisco: the Sidewalk Astronomers and the national parks

Academy Newsletter 1972
California Academy of Sciences, The Academy Newsletter no. 394, October 1972.
record from the time
Anecdotes
John Dobson, “Memories” (anecdotes), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Bartels 2014
Mel Bartels, “Remembering John Dobson”, bbastrodesigns.com, January 2014.
a later writer
Bartels, mirrors
Mel Bartels, “How good were John Dobson’s mirrors?”, bbastrodesigns.com, undated.
a later writer
Campbell 2004
Brett Campbell, “The Father of Street-Corner Stargazing”, Wall Street Journal, 1 September 2004, p. D10.
a later writer
Club biography
“John Dobson: A Brief Biography”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
a later writer
Club history
“About the Sidewalk Astronomers”, sidewalkastronomers.us.
a later writer
Contra Costa Times 1969
Vicki Allen, “John Dobson Helps People See The Moon”, Contra Costa Times, 12 February 1969, p. 16A (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
his own account
Copyright catalog 1974
Catalog of Copyright Entries, third series, vol. 28, part 1, no. 1 (Books, January to June 1974), entry A536638.
record from the time
Cosmology class 6
John Dobson, cosmology class 6, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, edited
F. Owen Hoffman, interview with John Dobson, 31 July 2004, Crater Lake Institute oral history, edited by Stephen R. Mark (December 2005).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, transcript
F. Owen Hoffman’s own transcript of the same 31 July 2004 interview, posted before the edit.
his own account
Death Valley report 1973
John Dobson, “Dying Stars Viewed From Death Valley”, trip report (copyright 1973), quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
Dobson 1973
John Dobson, “A Simple Design for Building Large Reflectors”, Celestial Observer 4:3, July-September 1973, p. 11.
his own account
Echo-Times 1969
“What’s Happening”, item “Telescope Making”, Echo-Times (College of Marin), 26 September 1969 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Fremont Peak report 1975
“Fremont Peak and Glacier Point”, Sidewalk Astronomers report, 1975 (year inferred), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
record from the time
Fresh Air 1991
Fresh Air, Terry Gross, “Sidewalk Astronomer John Dobson”, NPR, 1 May 1991 (recording).
his own account
Glacier Point proposal 1975
John Dobson, “The San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers on the Improved Usage of the Glacier Point Area”, March 1975, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Idyllwild report 1974
“Second Trip to Idyllwild”, Sidewalk Astronomers trip report on the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference, May 1974 (year inferred), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
record from the time
J., 19 Jan 1968
“S.F. Star Gazers Make Their Own Telescopes”, J. The Jewish News of Northern California, 19 January 1968 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
King 2014
Bob King, “John Dobson, Inventor of the Popular Dobsonian Telescope, Dead at 98”, Universe Today, 16 January 2014.
a later writer
Levy 1995
David H. Levy, “Walden of the Sky”, Sky & Telescope, September 1995, p. 84.
someone who was there
Listings
Class, event and broadcast listings in California newspapers, 1968 to 2001 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Mayer 1980
Ben Mayer, “Astronomy on the Sidewalk” (interview with John Dobson), Astronomy, April 1980, pp. 24-28.
his own account
Mexico report 1975
“The 24 Incher to Mexico”, Sidewalk Astronomers trip report, May 1975, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
record from the time
Moser 1989
Don Moser, “John Dobson, the celestial Pied Piper”, Smithsonian, April 1989, pp. 102-110.
his own account
National Park Service, Glacier Point Hotel
National Park Service, “There may have never been a better balcony view than the one from the Glacier Point Hotel”, Historic Ashes series, nps.gov, undated.
a later writer
Noe Valley Voice 1977
“Eyeing the Eclipse”, Noe Valley Voice, October 1977.
record from the time
Noe Valley Voice 1978
“Star Parties”, Noe Valley Voice, April 1978.
record from the time
NYT obituary 2014
Douglas Martin, obituary of John Dobson, New York Times News Service, January 2014.
a later writer
Oakland Tribune, 10 Feb 1971
“Shadow On the Moon”, photograph and caption, Oakland Tribune, 10 February 1971, p. 6 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Oakland Tribune, 29 Sep 1971
“Star Watchers to Gather at Park”, Oakland Tribune, 29 September 1971, p. 59 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Oregonian 2003
Richard Hill, “Telescopic Visionary”, The Oregonian, April 2003.
his own account
PATS talk 2008
John Dobson, “Einstein’s Geometry”, talk at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, 14 September 2008 (recording).
his own account
Perlman 2000
David Perlman, “A Star Among Astronomers”, San Francisco Chronicle, about December 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
a later writer
Planetary Radio 2012
Planetary Radio, Mat Kaplan, “A Conversation With Telescope Inventor John Dobson”, recorded 4 August 2012, broadcast 10 September 2012 (recording).
his own account
Rhodes memoir
Brian Rhodes, “John Dobson and Delphinium”, memoir of 1968 to 1979, sidewalkastronomers.us.
someone who was there
Riverside talk, web text
“Dobson on Dobsonians”, transcript of his 1983 Riverside talk, sidewalkastronomers.us.
his own account
SF Chronicle obituary 2014
David Perlman, obituary of John Dobson, San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate), January 2014.
a later writer
Sky at Night 2006
Interview with John Dobson, BBC Sky at Night Magazine, December 2006.
his own account
Smithsonian catalogue
National Museum of American History, catalogue entry for a Coulter Optical Dobsonian telescope (object 1994.0399.01).
a later writer
South Pasadena Review 1974
“Amateur Astronomers Set Meeting”, South Pasadena Review, 5 August 1974, p. 8 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Space.com obituary 2014
Mark Thompson, obituary of John Dobson, Space.com, January 2014.
a later writer
Summer Tour 1976
“Summer Tour 1976”, Sidewalk Astronomers trip report in two parts (New Oraibi, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
record from the time
Telescope Making 1980
Richard Berry, “Riverside 1980”, and letters, Telescope Making no. 8, Summer 1980.
someone who was there
Telescope Making 1983
“Dobson on Dobsonians”, his Riverside talk of May 1983, Telescope Making no. 20, pp. 43ff.
his own account
Telescope Making 1987
“Highlights of the 1987 Stellafane Convention”, Telescope Making no. 31, Winter 1987-88.
his own account
The Night Sky
The Night Sky, episode 4, “Conversation with John Dobson”, JPL Public Education Office, 1990s (recording).
his own account
The Telescope Man
“JD: The Telescope Man”, documentary short, undated (recording).
his own account
UPI, 3 Jan 1974
United Press International, “Kohoutek Outing Disappointing To Observers”, Siskiyou News, 3 January 1974, p. 1 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Wikipedia
“John Dobson (amateur astronomer)”, Wikipedia (revision of 2026).
a later writer

Part 6. San Francisco and the road: how his telescope spread and how he lived

A Million Telescopes
“A Million Telescopes”, John Dobson’s spoken words transcribed from video by Jim McCullough, sidewalkastronomers.us (paraphrased).
his own account
Anecdotes
John Dobson, “Memories” (anecdotes), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
AP, 24 Feb 1980
Associated Press, “In Quest Of The Heavens”, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 24 February 1980, p. 79 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Astronomy 1983
“See the Universe!”, on the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers at Fremont Peak, Astronomy, August 1983 (author’s name not legible in our copy).
someone who was there
Astronomy review 1991
Review of John Dobson, How and Why to Make a User-Friendly Sidewalk Telescope, “Astronomy Books”, Astronomy, November 1991.
record from the time
Bartels 2014
Mel Bartels, “Remembering John Dobson”, bbastrodesigns.com, January 2014.
someone who was there
Berry 1998
Richard Berry, on “the Dobsonian revolution”, Astronomy, August 1998 (25th-anniversary issue).
someone who was there
Clark 1989-90
Tom Clark, article in Telescope Making no. 39, Winter 1989-90 (with his account of the 1988 Texas Star Party).
someone who was there
Club biography
“John Dobson: A Brief Biography”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
a later writer
Cosmology class 7
John Dobson, cosmology class 7, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Crater Lake and Kobau report 1986
John Dobson, “Crater Lake, British Columbia and Mount Kobau 1986”, trip report, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, edited
F. Owen Hoffman, interview with John Dobson, 31 July 2004, Crater Lake Institute oral history, edited by Stephen R. Mark (December 2005).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, transcript
F. Owen Hoffman’s own transcript of the same 31 July 2004 interview, posted before the edit.
his own account
Deep Sky 1987
Report of the 1987 Stellafane convention, Deep Sky no. 20, Fall 1987.
someone who was there
Dodson 1981-82
Steve Dodson, “A Poncet/Dobson Hybrid Mounting”, Telescope Making no. 14, Winter 1981-82.
a later writer
Energy 4
John Dobson, “Energy 4”, notes with two song verses he dated about 1945 and about 2000, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Ferris 1998
Timothy Ferris, “Annals of Astronomy: Seeing in the Dark”, The New Yorker, 10 August 1998, pp. 54ff.
a later writer
Kestner 1979
Bob Kestner, “Building a Dobsonian Telescope”, Telescope Making no. 5, Fall 1979, p. 14.
someone who was there
King 2014
Bob King, “John Dobson, Inventor of the Popular Dobsonian Telescope, Dead at 98”, Universe Today, 16 January 2014.
a later writer
LA Times obituary 2014
Elaine Woo, obituary of John Dobson, Los Angeles Times, January 2014.
a later writer
Levy 1995
David H. Levy, “Walden of the Sky”, Sky & Telescope, September 1995, p. 84.
a later writer
Mayer 1980
Ben Mayer, “Astronomy on the Sidewalk” (interview with John Dobson), Astronomy, April 1980, pp. 24-28.
his own account
Moser 1989
Don Moser, “John Dobson, the celestial Pied Piper”, Smithsonian, April 1989, pp. 102-110.
someone who was there
Noe Valley Voice 1978
“Star Parties”, Noe Valley Voice, April 1978.
record from the time
Oregonian 2003
Richard Hill, “Telescopic Visionary”, The Oregonian, April 2003.
his own account
Orwell newsletter 2002
Neil Morley, on his visit to Orwell Park Observatory, 29 September 2002, Orwell Astronomical Society newsletter, November 2002.
a later writer
Randall Museum listings, 1982-86
San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, “Schedule of Classes”, Josephine D. Randall Junior Museum listings, Fall/Winter 1982-83 and Winter/Spring 1986 (Internet Archive).
record from the time
Rhodes memoir
Brian Rhodes, “John Dobson and Delphinium”, memoir of 1968 to 1979, sidewalkastronomers.us.
someone who was there
Riverside talk, web text
“Dobson on Dobsonians”, transcript of his 1983 Riverside talk, sidewalkastronomers.us.
his own account
SF Chronicle obituary 2014
David Perlman, obituary of John Dobson, San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate), January 2014.
a later writer
Sidewalk Astronomer, Summer 2004
The Sidewalk Astronomer (newsletter of the Sidewalk Astronomers), Summer 2004.
his own account
Sky & Telescope indexes
Sky & Telescope, indexes to vol. 59-60 (1980), vol. 78 (July-December 1989) and vol. 91 (1996), entries under his name; the articles themselves not read.
record from the time
Sky at Night 2006
Interview with John Dobson, BBC Sky at Night Magazine, December 2006.
his own account
Space.com 2000
Space.com profile of John Dobson, May 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
a later writer
Stavig 2019
Gopal Stavig, “Ramakrishna-Vedanta in Southern California”, part VIII, “John Dobson” (2019).
a later writer
Struts and Wrappers
John Dobson, “Struts and Wrappers”, undated essay, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy of 2009).
his own account
Summer Tour 1976
“Summer Tour 1976”, Sidewalk Astronomers trip report in two parts (New Oraibi, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
record from the time
Telescope Making 1979
Telescope Making no. 4, Summer 1979.
record from the time
Telescope Making 1980
Richard Berry, “Riverside 1980”, and letters, Telescope Making no. 8, Summer 1980.
someone who was there
Telescope Making 1981
Photo feature on the 1981 Stellafane convention, Telescope Making no. 13, Fall 1981.
record from the time
Telescope Making 1982
“Dobsonian Developments” (with the section “What Is a Dobsonian Telescope?”), Telescope Making no. 15, 1982, pp. 13-14.
record from the time
Telescope Making 1983
“Dobson on Dobsonians”, his Riverside talk of May 1983, Telescope Making no. 20, pp. 43ff.
his own account
Telescope Making 1984
Report of the 1984 Riverside Telescope Makers Conference, Telescope Making no. 23, Summer 1984.
his own account
Telescope Making 1987
“Highlights of the 1987 Stellafane Convention”, Telescope Making no. 31, Winter 1987-88.
his own account
Telescope Making 1988-89
Telescope Making no. 35, Winter 1988-89: Richard Berry, “Telescope Making at Alcon ‘88”; an article on refining the Dobsonian; and the letter headed “Dobson in Need”.
record from the time
Telescope Making, Summer 1987
Report on the 1987 Riverside Telescope Makers Conference, Telescope Making no. 30, Summer 1987.
record from the time
Van Nuland 1985
James H. Van Nuland, letter to the editor, Telescope Making no. 26, Summer 1985.
a later writer

Part 7. San Francisco and Hollywood: what he believed about the universe, and what scientists made of it

A Handful of Original Ideas 2006
John Dobson, “A Handful of Original Ideas”, signed Hollywood, 8 June 2006, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
A Note to the Vedantins 2001
John Dobson, “A Note to the Vedantins”, signed Hollywood, 2001, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
A Sidewalk Astronomer
A Sidewalk Astronomer (film, dir. Jeffrey Fox Jacobs, 2005), from the distributor’s published transcript (paraphrased).
his own account
Anecdotes
John Dobson, “Memories” (anecdotes), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Annalen der Physik 1905
A. Einstein, “Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper”, Annalen der Physik, 1905, pp. 891-921 (publisher record via Crossref).
a later writer
Apparitional Causation 2006
John Dobson, “Apparitional Causation”, signed Hollywood, 17 May 2006, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Ballard and Dobson 2005
Ruth Ballard and John Dobson, “Observational Cosmology”, posted 17 February 2005, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Bhavan’s Journal 1982
“Science and Vedanta”, report of his talks in Michigan and Chicago in May 1982, Bhavan’s Journal (Bombay), vol. 28 no. 23, July 1982.
record from the time
Campbell 2004
Brett Campbell, “The Father of Street-Corner Stargazing”, Wall Street Journal, 1 September 2004, p. D10.
record from the time
Club biography
“John Dobson: A Brief Biography”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
a later writer
Club news 2004
“Sidewalk Astronomers Hold Film Premier”, club news item on the first showing of Universe: The Cosmology Quest, 2004, sidewalkastronomers.us.
record from the time
Complexifications 1995
John Dobson, “Complexifications” (1995), quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
Cosmology class 1
John Dobson, cosmology class 1, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 3
John Dobson, cosmology class 3, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 4
John Dobson, cosmology class 4, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 5
John Dobson, cosmology class 5, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 6
John Dobson, cosmology class 6, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 7
John Dobson, cosmology class 7, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 9
John Dobson, cosmology class 9, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, edited
F. Owen Hoffman, interview with John Dobson, 31 July 2004, Crater Lake Institute oral history, edited by Stephen R. Mark (December 2005).
his own account
Creation Ex Nihilo 1989
John Dobson, “Creation Ex Nihilo or from Wheeler’s Pregeometry?” (copyright 1989), quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
Einstein’s Geometry (essay)
John Dobson, “Einstein’s Geometry”, undated essay written after 2004, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Einstein’s Physics of Illusion 1980
John Dobson, “Einstein’s Physics of Illusion”, lecture at the Vedanta Society, Berkeley, 12 October 1980 (reprinted in The Vedanta Kesari, May 1988), quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
Energy 3 (2004)
John Dobson, “Energy 3”, signed San Francisco, 28 February 2004, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Entropy 1995
John Dobson, “Entropy” (1995), quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
Eugene Weekly 2004
“Seeing Stars”, Eugene Weekly, 15 July 2004.
his own account
Fresh Air 1991
Fresh Air, Terry Gross, “Sidewalk Astronomer John Dobson”, NPR, 1 May 1991 (recording).
his own account
Gordon 2001
Bonnie Bilyeu Gordon, “Behind the Scenes: Meeting John Dobson”, Astronomy, September 2001, p. 6.
someone who was there
How Much Do We Take For Granted? (essay)
John Dobson, “How Much Do We Take For Granted?”, undated essay written after 1987, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Jones, club page
Morris Jones, “On The Sidewalk With John”, about 1999-2000 (posted 2004), sidewalkastronomers.us.
someone who was there
LA Times 2005
Hugo Martin, “Astronomer a star in his profession”, Los Angeles Times, 2005.
record from the time
LA Times obituary 2014
Elaine Woo, obituary of John Dobson, Los Angeles Times, January 2014.
a later writer
Leisure World talk 2003
John Dobson, untitled report of his talk to the Leisure World astronomy club, headed Hollywood, 26 February 2003, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Levy 1995
David H. Levy, “Walden of the Sky”, Sky & Telescope, September 1995, p. 84.
a later writer
Memoir 3
John Dobson, “Memoir 3”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Mexico report 1975
“The 24 Incher to Mexico”, Sidewalk Astronomers trip report, May 1975, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
record from the time
Moser 1989
Don Moser, “John Dobson, the celestial Pied Piper”, Smithsonian, April 1989, pp. 102-110.
someone who was there
Moser 2005
Don Moser, “35 Who Made a Difference: John Dobson”, Smithsonian, November 2005.
his own account
Negative Entropy 1 (2007)
John Dobson, “Negative Entropy 1”, signed San Francisco, 16 December 2007, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Nobel press release 1978
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, press release on the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics, 17 October 1978, nobelprize.org.
a later writer
Nobel press release 2006
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, press release on the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics, 3 October 2006, nobelprize.org.
a later writer
Oregonian 2003
Richard Hill, “Telescopic Visionary”, The Oregonian, April 2003.
a later writer
Origins 1993
John Dobson, “Origins”, answers to the questionnaire of the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions, quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
PATS talk 2008
John Dobson, “Einstein’s Geometry”, talk at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, 14 September 2008 (recording).
his own account
Perlman 2000
David Perlman, “A Star Among Astronomers”, San Francisco Chronicle, about December 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
his own account
Photons? 1994
John Dobson, “Photons?” (1994), quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
Physics and Vedanta 2002
John Dobson, “Physics And Vedanta” (copyright 2002), sidewalkastronomers.us.
his own account
Prabuddha Bharata 1982-88
Prabuddha Bharata, reports and notes on John Dobson, May 1982 to December 1988 (Internet Archive).
record from the time
Shields, club page
Jim Shields, “Astronomy for Children Under 80 - Adventures with John Dobson”, undated, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
someone who was there
Sky at Night 2006
Interview with John Dobson, BBC Sky at Night Magazine, December 2006.
his own account
Something Deeply Hidden 1996
John Dobson, “Something Deeply Hidden”, signed October 1996, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Space.com 2000
Space.com profile of John Dobson, May 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
his own account
SRV Association 2014
SRV Association, “In Memoriam: John Dobson”, srv.org, 2014.
his own account
Stavig 2019
Gopal Stavig, “Ramakrishna-Vedanta in Southern California”, part VIII, “John Dobson” (2019).
a later writer
Sullivant 2001
Rosemary Sullivant, “On the Road with John Dobson”, Astronomy, September 2001.
someone who was there
Telescope Building film
Telescope Building with John Dobson, instructional film, about 1992 (recording).
his own account
The Astronomers 1991
The Astronomers (KCET/PBS, 1991), episode 1, “Where Is the Rest of the Universe?” (recording).
his own account
The Equations of Maya 1993
John Dobson, “The Equations of Maya”, written for the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions (printed in Cosmic Beginnings & Human Ends, Open Court, 1995), quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
The God Factor 1990
John Dobson, “The God Factor: Fossils”, reply to an article in Astronomy, March 1990, quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
TYCHO (essay)
John Dobson, “TYCHO”, undated essay, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
University Physics 2016
Samuel J. Ling, Jeff Sanny and William Moebs, University Physics, Volume 3 (OpenStax, 2016), section 5.5, “The Lorentz Transformation”.
a later writer
Vedanta Society of Sacramento
Vedanta Society of Sacramento, “Our Story” and “Resident Swamis” (web pages).
a later writer
Vivekananda and the Einsteins 1998
John Dobson, “Vivekananda and the Einsteins”, signed Hollywood, February 1998, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
Whence This Hydrogen? 2005
John Dobson, “Whence This Hydrogen?”, signed 23 December 2005, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account

Part 8. The road and Hollywood: the touring years and the return to a monastery

A Sidewalk Astronomer
A Sidewalk Astronomer (film, dir. Jeffrey Fox Jacobs, 2005), from the distributor’s published transcript (paraphrased).
his own account
Anecdotes
John Dobson, “Memories” (anecdotes), sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
his own account
AP, 24 Feb 1980
Associated Press, “In Quest Of The Heavens”, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 24 February 1980, p. 79 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Astronomie Heute 2005
Astronomie Heute, October 2005: editorial, p. 3, and Stefan Seip, “Der Grandseigneur der Sterngucker”, pp. 52-55 (in German).
record from the time
Astronomie Heute 2007
Pascale Demy, “John Dobson kam nach Süddeutschland”, Astronomie Heute, January/February 2007 (in German).
someone who was there
Astronomy review 1991
Review of John Dobson, How and Why to Make a User-Friendly Sidewalk Telescope, “Astronomy Books”, Astronomy, November 1991.
record from the time
Bartels 2014
Mel Bartels, “Remembering John Dobson”, bbastrodesigns.com, January 2014.
a later writer
Byrd 2014
Deborah Byrd, “R.I.P. John Dobson”, EarthSky, 16 January 2014.
record from the time
Campbell 2004
Brett Campbell, “The Father of Street-Corner Stargazing”, Wall Street Journal, 1 September 2004, p. D10.
record from the time
Club biography
“John Dobson: A Brief Biography”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
a later writer
Club news 2009
“John’s 94th Birthday”, club news, sidewalkastronomers.us, 2009 (archived copy).
someone who was there
Cosmology class 3
John Dobson, cosmology class 3, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Cosmology class 8
John Dobson, cosmology class 8, audio recording, about 1994 (recording).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, edited
F. Owen Hoffman, interview with John Dobson, 31 July 2004, Crater Lake Institute oral history, edited by Stephen R. Mark (December 2005).
his own account
Crater Lake interview, transcript
F. Owen Hoffman’s own transcript of the same 31 July 2004 interview, posted before the edit.
his own account
England And Ireland 2002
John Dobson, “England And Ireland”, trip report, 2002, sidewalkastronomers.us.
his own account
Eugene Weekly 2004
“Seeing Stars”, Eugene Weekly, 15 July 2004.
record from the time
Film synopsis
“A Sidewalk Astronomer: A Detailed Synopsis”, synopsis of the 2005 film, telescopepictures.com, about 2005.
a later writer
Houston Jones 1998, part 1
Jane Houston Jones, “Hawaii with John Dobson 1998”, part 1, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
someone who was there
Houston Jones 1998, part 2
Jane Houston Jones, “Hawaii with John Dobson 1998”, part 2, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
someone who was there
Houston Jones 1998, part 3
Jane Houston Jones, “Hawaii with John Dobson 1998”, part 3, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
someone who was there
Jones, club page
Morris Jones, “On The Sidewalk With John”, about 1999-2000 (posted 2004), sidewalkastronomers.us.
someone who was there
King 2014
Bob King, “John Dobson, Inventor of the Popular Dobsonian Telescope, Dead at 98”, Universe Today, 16 January 2014.
record from the time
Kurtz 1996
Patti A. Kurtz, “Observing at the Edge”, Astronomy, October 1996, pp. 17-20.
someone who was there
LA Times 2005
Hugo Martin, “Astronomer a star in his profession”, Los Angeles Times, 2005.
record from the time
LA Times obituary 2014
Elaine Woo, obituary of John Dobson, Los Angeles Times, January 2014.
a later writer
Listings
Class, event and broadcast listings in California newspapers, 1968 to 2001 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Moser 2005
Don Moser, “35 Who Made a Difference: John Dobson”, Smithsonian, November 2005.
record from the time
Moynihan 2005
Colin Moynihan, “Astronomer on Sidewalk Shares Passion for Galaxy”, New York Times, 7 August 2005.
record from the time
Newsome 2004
Jeff Newsome, “Making a Mirror”, sidewalkastronomers.us, 2004.
someone who was there
Noe Valley Voice, May 1997
Mazook, “Watch the Skies”, Noe Valley Voice, May 1997.
record from the time
NYT obituary 2014
Douglas Martin, obituary of John Dobson, New York Times News Service, January 2014.
a later writer
Oakland Tribune, 15 Apr 1991
“Starry-eyed show”, television column on the premiere of The Astronomers, Oakland Tribune, 15 April 1991, p. 23 (California Digital Newspaper Collection).
record from the time
Oregonian 2003
Richard Hill, “Telescopic Visionary”, The Oregonian, April 2003.
a later writer
Orwell newsletter 2002
Neil Morley, on his visit to Orwell Park Observatory, 29 September 2002, Orwell Astronomical Society newsletter, November 2002.
someone who was there
PATS talk 2008
John Dobson, “Einstein’s Geometry”, talk at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, 14 September 2008 (recording).
his own account
Perlman 2000
David Perlman, “A Star Among Astronomers”, San Francisco Chronicle, about December 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
record from the time
Planetary Radio 2012
Planetary Radio, Mat Kaplan, “A Conversation With Telescope Inventor John Dobson”, recorded 4 August 2012, broadcast 10 September 2012 (recording).
his own account
quanta-gaia.org, About John Dobson
“About John Dobson”, home page of the Dobson pages kept by MagicPubs, quanta-gaia.org, undated (1995 to 2005).
a later writer
Regas 2014
Dean Regas, “The Astronomer Who Showed Us the Sky”, HuffPost, 2014 (from his 2005 interview).
someone who was there
Scheib 2005
Ronnie Scheib, review of A Sidewalk Astronomer, Variety, April 2005 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
record from the time
Scott 2010
Phil Scott, “It’s All Sawdust and Mirrors”, Air & Space, 30 June 2010.
his own account
SF Chronicle obituary 2014
David Perlman, obituary of John Dobson, San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate), January 2014.
a later writer
SF Recreation and Park 1992
San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, “What’s doing in the parks?”, press releases, 1992.
record from the time
Sidewalk Astronomer, Summer 2004
The Sidewalk Astronomer (newsletter of the Sidewalk Astronomers), Summer 2004.
record from the time
Sidewalk Astronomer, Winter/Spring 2005
The Sidewalk Astronomer (newsletter of the Sidewalk Astronomers), Winter/Spring 2005.
someone who was there
Sky at Night 2006
Interview with John Dobson, BBC Sky at Night Magazine, December 2006.
his own account
Space.com 2000
Space.com profile of John Dobson, May 2000 (reprinted on sidewalkastronomers.us).
record from the time
SRV Association 2014
SRV Association, “In Memoriam: John Dobson”, srv.org, 2014.
a later writer
Stavig 2019
Gopal Stavig, “Ramakrishna-Vedanta in Southern California”, part VIII, “John Dobson” (2019).
a later writer
Sullivant 2001
Rosemary Sullivant, “On the Road with John Dobson”, Astronomy, September 2001.
someone who was there
Telescope Building film
Telescope Building with John Dobson, instructional film, about 1992 (recording).
his own account
Telescope Making 1991
“RTMC ‘91”, report, and the advertisement for “Dobson on Dobsonians”, Telescope Making no. 45, Summer 1991.
record from the time
The Astronomers 1991
The Astronomers (KCET/PBS, 1991), episode 1, “Where Is the Rest of the Universe?” (recording).
a later writer
The Equations of Maya 1993
John Dobson, “The Equations of Maya”, written for the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions (printed in Cosmic Beginnings & Human Ends, Open Court, 1995), quanta-gaia.org.
his own account
Times obituary 2014
Obituary of John Dobson, The Times (London), 28 January 2014.
a later writer
Walker 2014
Peggy Walker, “Sidewalk Astronomers in Death Valley 2014”, sidewalkastronomers.us (archived copy).
someone who was there
Wikipedia
“John Dobson (amateur astronomer)”, Wikipedia (revision of 2026).
a later writer