Bea Canfield
Nominee: Thomas A. Whiting
Nominated by: Beverly Whiting
Tom has been president of Erie County Mobile Observers Group locally for over 15
years; Owns largest portable telescope, a 30 inch Newtonian, East of the
Mississippi I believe, and is the only Erie Resident who has discovered a new
night sky object, namely the mini-coathanger asterism up in Ursa Minor.
(Designated W-1 in Meade GOTO computer driven telescope software programs, and
the asterism is recognized worldwide).
Thomas A. Whiting, Major, USAF (retired). Tom had 180 combat missions in
Vietnam in tanker, KC-135, without incident. He served 100 missions stateside
mid-air refueling the SR-71 aircraft. Tom was a Eagle Scout, taught
Astronomy/Meteorology at Gannon for 13 years (1982-1995), worked for IP for 25
years, was Air Force Academy Liaison Officer for Erie County for 13 years
(1979 - 1992) and currently owns largest portable telescope east of
Mississippi...see picture enclosed. But his main claim to fame, is the only
Erieite we know of that discovered a night sky object, the mini-coathanger
asterism up in Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper. (Discovery of a new comet
comes and goes, but an asterism is....virtually forever.)
BACK
|
