Speaker: Richard Wolff-Jacobson
Topic: Historical and Modern Tools for Celestial Wayfinding
We’re excited to welcome Richard Wolff-Jacobson for a talk that will explore how we describe, measure, and communicate positions in the night sky. He’ll provide helpful background information and introduce modern tools such as encoders, plate solving techniques, and a closer look at the PiFinder.
The PiFinder uses plate solving technology to quickly and accurately determine where your telescope is pointing by taking photos of the sky and identifying star patterns in the image. This direct measurement of sky position does away with the need for multi-star alignment, sky models or other set up. In under one second it can provide precise positioning on any telescope. No encoders required and as easy to install as a red dot finder.
The meeting was held using Zoom from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, August 20, 2025