Exploring the Universe: A Practical Guide for Hobbyists

Dr. James Dire has bridged the gap between professional and amateur astronomy for many decades. He earned bachelors degrees in chemistry, physics and mathematics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City followed by a masters degree in physics from the University of Central Florida. He earned his PhD from The Johns Hopkins University. His dissertation was a study of the seasonal organic chemistry in the atmosphere of Saturn’s large moon Titan. While at UMKC, Dire joined the Astronomical Society of Kansas City where he served as president his senior year in college. Over his career he continued to work with many amateur organizations including the Central Florida Astronomical Society (Orlando), the Baltimore Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of New Haven, the Thames Amateur Astronomical Society (New London, CT), the Cleveland County (NC) Astronomical Society, the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, the Peoria Astronomical Society, and the Kauai Educational Association for Science and Astronomy. He is still very active with the latter three. Dr. Dire began doing astronomical imaging while an undergraduate, back then using film. He advanced to digital sensors using them both for research and producing splendid images. He has been a contributor author for Astronomy Technology Today almost since the journal beginning reviewing emerging astronomical equipment, books and software. He is a leading expert on amateur telescopes and related equipment. Since 2009, Dire has authored a Deep-Sky column in every issue of the Reflector. Scores of his astronomical images have appeared in these publications as well as Sky and Telescope and many newspapers. Dire has been a chemistry, physics and astronomy professor for most of his professional career. However, he has spent a majority of the past two decades as a college administrator at every level from a department chair to a president.