Terence Dickinson Memorial
Terence Dickinson
November 10, 1943 – February 1, 2023
Dickinson was a renowned amateur astronomer, an exceptional astrophotographer, an incredible speaker, a prolific writer, an editor, a friend of Starfest and a kindred spirit.
Terence first spoke at Starfest in 1986, and appeared on stage twenty-two times in various roles. He was a keynote speaker, panel discussion moderator, a workshop leader, a field correspondent, a Zombie, and a night-show host (Johnny Carson mode), where he interviewed Tom Bopp.
He was an adjunct member of team Starfest, and helped us identify and connect with speakers, and gave us feedback.
Most importantly, he would walk around the field talking with everyone to see what they were doing, check out their equipment and soak up the ambiance. One of his favourite things was to chat with people over coffee at the Red-Light Café in the wee hours of the morning.
To honor his memory and keep his spirt alive, we have dedicated the Saturday Night Keynote Presentation to him. This presentation is now referred to as the Terence Dickinson Memorial Keynote Presentation. Dr. Katie Mack was the first Terence Dickinson Memorial Keynote Speaker in 2023.
Terence Dickinson Memorial Keynote Speakers
- 2023 Dr. Katie Mack – A Map of Cosmic Time
- 2024 Dr. Sara Seager – Planetary Atmospheres and the Search for Signs of Life Beyond Earth
Starfest 2023 Terence Dickinson Memorial Display
Click on this image to view in detail.
Starfest 2023 Terence Dickinson Memorial Presentation
Click here for the Terence Dickinson Memorial Presentation video given on Saturday night.
Other Pictures and Videos of Terence Dickinson at Starfest
Click here for shared pictures and videos of Terence Dickinson at Starfest
Terence Dickinson’s On Stage Appearances
| Year | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Keynote | Revolution, Evolution and Mythology in Visual Astronomy |
| 1989 | Teleconference | The Neptune Encounter Teleconference with Peter Jedicke as the “local news anchor” and Terence as the “field correspondent” at JPL providing commentary on the latest images of Neptune taken by Voyager 2 during the fly-by. These images were obtained from the NASA broadcast network using a 10-foot satellite dish brought to Starfest for the occasion. |
| 1990 | Panel Discussion | Comet Hunting Panel Discussion with Doug George, David Levy and Rolf Meier |
| 1990 | Presentation | Telescope Performance: A Subjective Appraisal |
| 1992 | Presentation | S&T Optical Quality Experiment Terry Dickinson and Doug George described their roles in the S&T Optical Quality Experiment. |
| 1992 | Presentation | The Backyard Astronomer's Guide Terry Dickinson and Alan Dyer talked about their book, "The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide" |
| 1993 | Panel Discussion | Deep Sky Observing Panel Discussion with Grant Dixon, Alan Dyer, Bryce Heartwell and Jerry Spevak |
| 1995 | Workshop | Observing Basics Workshop Terry Dickinson conducted a workshop designed to help people new to the hobby become familiar with the night sky. |
| 1996 | Keynote | The Lure of The Night Sky |
| 1996 | Panel Discussion | A Tribute to Hyakutake, Getting Ready for Hale-Bopp |
| 1997 | Presentation | Choosing And Using Amateur Astronomical Telescopes |
| 1997 | The Tonight Show | Hale-Bopp: The Grand Finale Terence, in Johnny Carson mode, interviewed Tom Bopp |
| 1999 | Panel Discussion | The SkyNews Cloudy Night Show with Alan Dyer, Ken Hewitt-White and Ivan Semeniuk |
| 2000 | Panel Discussion | Observing Through The Decades Panel Discussion with Kendra Angle, Cathy McWatters and Dave Petherick |
| 2002 | Teleconference | California Dreamin': An Astrophotographer's Delight A teleconference hosted by Terence Dickinson with Tony Hallas, one of America's leading astrophotographers. |
| 2003 | Keynote | Mars Then and Now Long-time Mars observer Terence Dickinson traces Mars exploration from the days of Percival Lowell through to the 21st century. |
| 2003 | Zombie Walk | Star Trek First Contact Re-enactment To celebrate the 2003 close approach of Mars, we dressed up the stage as Mars and re-enacted the StarTrek first contact scene. Terry wanted in on the action and decided to emerge from the ‘Mother Ship’ and walk across the stage as a Zombie. |
| 2004 | Panel Discussion | The June 8, 2008 Transit of Venus Panel Discussion with Doug Cunningham and Dave McCarter |
| 2006 | Keynote | Digital SLRs and the Democratization of Personal Astrophotography |
| 2007 | Panel Discussion | McNaught: The ‘Tail’ of a Great Comet Panel Discussion with John Drummond |
| 2008 | Panel Discussion | August 1, 2008 Solar Eclipse Panel with Steve Barnes, Cathy and Richard McWatters, and Andreas Gada |
| 2010 | Presentation | Backyard Astronomy, circa 2060 A.D. |
