182: Amateur Astronomer Tim Doucette Can See the Night Sky Better than You
From a young age, Time would gaze at the Moon from his window, and dreamed of to becoming an astronomer but lost courage due to his visual impairment- Tim is legally blind. One day, Tim’s wife bought him a telescope to “help get him out of the house.” While stargazing with a group from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), Tim discovered his superpower: the ability to see in part UV light as well as having better night vision than anyone else! With his new found superpower, he would build an observatory and begin his mission to share the night sky with anyone, and everyone! In 2014 I moved back home to Quinan, NS, and started an astrotourism business & Starlight Tourist Destination (in South West Nova), and started what would become the Starlight Development Society, group that pursues the ideals of the Starlight Foundation to protect the night sky from light pollution, teach astronomy in our schools, and promote and help develop astrotourism products in South West Nova Scotia.
Tim believes that through education and awareness of the universe, the world can become a better place.
“We are all made from stardust. We are all connected. If we lose our connection to the universe, by not being able to observe it, we become disconnected from each other.
I believe that by sharing the night sky the world can become a better place. By giving people a new perspective on space and its vastness, and showing them how special we really are as a planet and a species. I hope that people might appreciate Earth a bit more...”-Tim Doucette
About Tim:
Tim believes that through education and awareness of the universe, the world can become a better place. Through his passion for Astronomy and his photography, Tim shows us the beauty of the heavens. In 2016 he opened the Deep Sky Eye Observatory in Quinan, Nova Scotia, which provides a unique stargazing experience to tourists from around the world. He is the chair of the Starlight Development Society and sits on the board of directors of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Halifax Centre). Born and raised in Quinan, a small rural village in southwestern Nova Scotia, he graduated from The College of Geographic Sciences. He then received a Bachelor of Computer Science from Dalhousie University. He continues his career as a software developer to this day.
Where you can find Tim and his work:
Web: http://deepskyeye.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/deepskyeye
Instagram: http://instagram.com/deepskyeye
And Check out Tim on CNN The Great Big Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82seHPdYAo8
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