| Astronomy is thought of as something nerds do | | | | science and religion. Recently I spent some time |
| or those hidden away in towers with big | | | | with Joey as he explained the elements of the |
| telescopes and mysterious computations. | | | | telescope. Looking at the heavens up close in the |
| However, you don’t need to be good at | | | | evening sky can be fulfilling and informative. Joey |
| math a nerd or spend a long time learning to | | | | is not only adept with the telescope, he is also a |
| discover the stars. The ancients did that and | | | | master at explaining how it is used. |
| learned a lot about their world that way. Given | | | | John Dobson, working in a monastery in San |
| these times when money issues are foremost, | | | | Francisco in the 1960’s, wanted to develop a |
| it’s nice to know that there are simple things | | | | telescope design that would be relatively easy to |
| we can do to enjoy our world and learn more | | | | use. Joey has this type, which is called the |
| about it without having to spend a lot of money | | | | Dobsonian telescope. The telescope originated with |
| or do things that are too complicated to enjoy | | | | Isaac Newton. It consists of an eyepiece in the |
| after all. It’s possible to have fun in your | | | | back, a secondary cage and mirror box. One |
| backyard with a little instruction and time, then | | | | looks through the eyepiece and sees the images |
| get other folks around with you to enjoy it too. | | | | that are brought through light that comes in and is |
| We read how folks discover new planets and | | | | reflected by a large mirror. Joey’s telescope |
| wax eloquently over stars and their speed, | | | | is made for deep sky observing, for looking at |
| direction and relationship to one another. How | | | | galaxies, asteroids, and pinpointing stars. Through it |
| many of us know that you can actually build your | | | | one is able to see 18,000 galaxies. |
| own telescope to appreciate those heavenly lights | | | | The telescope helps one establish direction, iis |
| in the skies, those stars above us. That might | | | | used for navigational purposes and to establish the |
| even be a whole lot more interesting than | | | | seasons for planting. Joey tells us that the |
| watching the stars in other areas, those in | | | | telescope gives him certitude and understanding |
| television and the movies or in politics, those Bill | | | | that there’s a purpose for everything in the |
| Clintons, Sarah Palins, and Paris Hiltons, that all | | | | relationship of one thing to another, in the earth |
| fade in time. Those stars in heaven won’t. | | | | and in the heavens. It has practical purposes as |
| Joey Matheson in the town of Natchitoches, is a | | | | well as esoteric ones. |
| talented man, a retired clown from major | | | | There are simple instructions the Internet for |
| circuses, who does odds and ends at a local | | | | building telescopes and networks of people to talk |
| church and teaches people how to build | | | | with about them. Astronomy clubs are great |
| telescopes and enjoy looking at the stars. He is a | | | | groups to join because these folks are interested |
| Bible scholar also along with being an amateur | | | | in nature and the heavens and like Joey see that |
| astronomer, so in his own way he balances | | | | purpose for everything under heaven. |