The View Through The Eyepiece | Ted Blank | TEDxFountainHills

Join Ted Blank on a journey through our Solar System and beyond as he shares how the view through the eyepiece can reawaken the curious child in all of us.
Arizona is blessed with a multitude of mountaintop observatories, many of which offer public observing. While the views through these professional instruments are certainly awe-inspiring, a peek through a smaller instrument can also help to bring the universe around us within reach of our understanding.
In his talk Ted will share information and stories about our night sky. It is his wish that the knowledge you take away will improve your future enjoyment of the stars and inspire you continue to enjoy the wonders above us.
Although I did not study astronomy in school I have been interested in the stars and planets since childhood. In 2007 when I retired from my first career, I took a few months off before starting a new job. During this time I knew I could stay up late and sleep in the morning, so I decided that it was the perfect time to buy a telescope and try to learn something about the night sky.
As my interest in astronomy deepened I became President of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador. Through all of my contacts with the public I have seen how offering people just a little explanation, an encouraging word and a peek through a telescope can start them on a lifetime of enjoyment of the night sky, even if they have little or no scientific background. The excitement I saw in people’s faces when they looked through my telescope inspired me first to offer sidewalk astronomy sessions and now to co-found the Fountain Hills Astronomy Club.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at