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On this day in 1915 – September 14th – John Lowry Dobson was born in Beijing, China.

The American amateur astronomer, who grew up in the San Francisco area, was a popularizer of astronomy. He's best known for having designed and promoted a quality telescope that could be made using inexpensive, readily available materials. The Dobsonian telescope meant that amateur astronomers could afford a portable instrument of a size and aperture that would otherwise be beyond their means.

Mona Evans
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