Sharing a meal with Danny Arthur and being able to ask questions is like stepping into the past of the FWAS.  A native of Ft. Worth with an early interest in Astronomy, Danny is an excellent source of information on our organization.

What is your earliest memory of an interest in Astronomy?
My parents gave me a little book called  "THE LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK OF STARS".  On one of the pages I read that Haley's comet would return again in 1986.  I figured out how old I would be when the comet returned.  I wondered if I would be alive at age 36 to see the comet's return.

Who was the first person that interested you in Astronomy?
That would have to be Dennis Gallagher at the Children's Museum (Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History) I saw a picture of him in the newspaper standing next to the Museum's 12 ½ telescope and thought that looked pretty cool. He ran the Noble Observatory out at what is now the Pate Museum of Transportation, near Cresson, TX.  It used to be the Texas Refinery Recreation Center.  Back then Fort Worth was just a dim glow on the northern horizon.  The old telescope dome can still be seen on the hill but I think the telescope was stolen. Dennis Gallagher taught me and other kids how to grind mirrors and a lot about astronomy. 

What was the first thing you remember really looking up and seeing?
As a kid, I had a little tent and I used to camp out in the backyard at night.  I remember looking up at the sky full of cumulus clouds (I have always been a cloud watcher) and wondering how fast the clouds were moving and where they were going.

Describe your first telescope.  Was it a gift or purchase?  How old were you when you got it?  Have you ever made a telescope?  How did it turn out?
My first telescope was a Christmas present from my parents when I was 10 years old.  It was a Gilbert 3" telescope on a wobbly tripod.  I have

ground more than 130 different mirrors.  The last one that I finished was also the first one I ever began.  It was a 6" mirror that I just recently finished and put in a telescope for a friend.

What do you do during the daytime?
At the present I am unemployed and looking for a job.  I find myself spending a lot of time "pondering the universe".

Do you have any formal training in Astronomy or Physics?
I took one class in Conceptual Physics.  I love physics, especially the Special and General Theories of Relativity.  I also took one Astronomy class, unfortunately I knew more about Astronomy at that time than did the teacher.

Where did you get you basic training in Astronomy?
I am mostly self-taught and have learned from books and other amateur astronomers.  You learn a whole lot just by observing, and then I "ponder" a lot.

Are you a "starhopper" or a "GOTOer"?  Which is best?  Did you go through a binocular phase?
For sure I am a "star-hopper" but to each his own.  I find binoculars to be a useful tool especially if you only have a Telrad on your scope.  I nearly always wind up my viewing session with binoculars.  I especially enjoy looking at the most northern part of Cygnus where there is a dark nebula.

What kind of telescope do you use most often?  How many do you have?  What would be your "dream scope"?
I only have one telescope now.  It is a 10" Discovery.  I have probably had as many as ten over the years.  My dream scope would be a 20" Dob complete with its own domed observatory.

What is you favorite viewing site and with whom do you like to view?
My Favorite place is Ft. Griffin, about 3 ½ hours from here - nice dark skies.  I often observe alone, in fact most of my observing has been alone, and I enjoyed that - but one of the reasons that I came back to the club was to observe with friends.  You learn more that

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