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Custom
Work
If
you are looking for something not offered on our web-site, I
am interested in hearing from you. I've been designing and manufacturing
parts for telescopes has been an over 20 year endeavor. Send
a sketch or dimensioned drawing, or just describe your need
and if feasible you'll receive a price and delivery quote based
on time and materials.
Thank
you,
Mark Wagner
AstroGoods
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Who
Am I?
I've been
involved in amateur astronomy for over 40 years. I bring my
experience designing and manufacturing telescope parts for customers
and friends, and introducing newcomers to the hobby through
public outreach.
I am most proud of spending hobby time with my daughter, seeing
her interest in astronomy grow and how it gave her a curious
mind. Always with her hands on a telescope she became widely
known when my report of her as The
Messier Monster appeared on Sky
and Telescope's September 2000 magazine cover. By age 10
she was pushing me off my 20" telescope so she could "play
with the big kids." She wanted increasingly larger telescopes
- "an inch a year" - which continued to age 18. Now
she's raising Ellie, her own Messier Monster.
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I now new
moon weekends at dark sites with an 18" telescope, and
use the 10" (on Streetlight Baffles)
from home near San Francisco California.
I've been
a member of numerous astronomy clubs, and current member of
the Fremont Peak Observatory Association.
I've been on club's boards of directors, and club president.
With the
help of friends I began two regional star parties in California
during the 1990's: the Golden
State Star Party, and our little "under the radar"
biannual event CalStar.
Both star parties continue and are hosted by our now incorporated
mailing list, which I began in 1993. The list became California-wide
"The Astronomy Connection" (TAC),
which still lives "on the mountain tops"
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I am very
fortunate to have friends with big telescopes in very dark skies
away from California's big city light domes. I also get to spend
time at Lick Observatory, both as an employee and volunteer
for their programs.
Astronomy continues to be my most passionate hobby.
Aside from
TAC, I am involved in Adventures
In Deep Space. My favorite astro-trip
was in 2005, taking my 10" telescope to Chile. Observing
there was documented
by Ray Cash. The other great trip was to West Texas, to visit
the McDonald Observatory and tour it with the chief astronomer,
arranged by Jimi Lowrey and Steve Gottlieb.
Finally, I enjoy being able to write astronomy content, specifically
what to observe, for a major astronomy manufacturer and worldwide
distributor. I consider myself lucky.
Astronomy
is a wonderful life long interest. Making parts for others is
the cherry on top!
-
Mark
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