During the Open House on May 23, 2026, at Chamberlin Observatory, longtime Denver Astronomical Society member Jack Eastman was honored with special recognitions celebrating his decades of service to astronomy and to the Society.
Since Jack was unable to attend the DAS Spring Banquet earlier this year, the Open House became an opportunity to formally present him with the Society’s Trustee Emeritus Award, recognizing more than half a century of leadership, outreach, and dedication to amateur astronomy.
Jack was also recognized as an outgoing Executive Board Trustee with a commemorative plaque and received an autographed photo from University of Denver physics club members in appreciation for his support of their group.
Together, the recognitions celebrated not only Jack’s long tenure with DAS, but also his enduring impact on generations of amateur astronomers, students, and public outreach visitors.
The Open House provided an opportunity for members and visitors alike to celebrate a man whose name has become deeply intertwined with the history of both the Denver Astronomical Society and Chamberlin Observatory itself.
For generations of DAS members, Jack Eastman has been a familiar face at star parties, public nights, outreach events, and Executive Board meetings. Known affectionately to many as “Old Furface” — a nickname Jack often uses for himself in reference to his famously scruffy beard — his enthusiasm for astronomy, telescope making, and public education has inspired countless people over the decades.
A Childhood Fascination with the Night Sky
Jack Eastman was born in 1939 in Salt Lake City, Utah, though his family moved frequently during his childhood due to his father’s work with Western Airlines. Over the years, the family lived in Utah, Montana, Canada, Wyoming, Colorado, and eventually California.
It was during his second-grade year in Denver that astronomy first captured his imagination.
His father propped up a pair of Zeiss 8×30 binoculars and showed young Jack a close-up view of the Moon. The experience left a lasting impression. A few years later, while visiting Knott’s Berry Farm in California, Jack looked through a 9-inch Newtonian telescope and saw Jupiter along with its cloud belts and Galilean moons.
That moment, he later wrote, left him “terminally hooked.”
Soon afterward, Jack discovered Griffith Observatory and the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, opening the door to telescope making, observing, and a lifelong passion for astronomy and science.
What fascinated him most was not simply seeing celestial objects, but understanding how astronomers could learn so much from faint beams of light arriving from distant worlds. That curiosity — constantly asking “How do you know that?” — helped guide his lifelong interests in optics, astronomy, photography, and the scientific method itself.
Griffith Observatory and Public Outreach
Jack joined the Los Angeles Astronomical Society in May 1952, initially hoping to learn how to build his own telescope through the organization’s famed telescope makers classes.
Under the guidance of legendary telescope maker Tom Cave and other experienced amateurs, Jack quickly immersed himself in mirror grinding and telescope construction. His first 6-inch mirror reportedly earned a memorable critique from Cave, who jokingly called it “the worst butcher job he’d ever seen foisted on a poor defenseless piece of glass” before helping transform it into an excellent instrument.
Not long afterward, Jack completed work on a 12.5-inch telescope mirror that Tom Cave reportedly praised as being “better than the stuff we make.” That telescope saw first light in 1957 and remains in use today.
Over the years, Jack would go on to build numerous telescopes and even construct a refractor objective lens himself, developing deep expertise in optics and telescope making.
In 1959, Jack joined the guide staff at Griffith Observatory and later became a Planetarium Lecturer. The position helped support him financially through college, including his years at UCLA, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in astrophysics.
For nearly a decade at Griffith Observatory, Jack helped introduce visitors to astronomy through public lectures, observatory programs, and planetarium shows. Those years helped shape one of the defining themes of his life in astronomy: sharing the night sky with others. Jack remained connected to the Los Angeles Astronomical Society throughout his life, eventually serving as president in 1966 along with many years on its Executive Board, even after later returning to Colorado.
A Career in Optical Science
After college, Jack briefly worked for the Astro-Optics Division of Valor Electronics, which later evolved into Celestron. He later joined Fairchild Space and Defense Systems in El Segundo, California, where he deepened his experience in optical design.
In September 1969, Jack moved back to Colorado and joined Martin Marietta’s Optical Physics Research Department, beginning a career that would span more than 37 years.
Over the course of his career — later continuing under Lockheed Martin — Jack worked as an Optical Sciences Specialist and optical designer on a wide variety of aerospace and scientific projects. Among the projects he contributed to were optical systems associated with the Huygens probe that landed on Saturn’s moon Titan, along with work connected to the Pathfinder Mars mission.
Despite a highly technical professional career, Jack often described himself less as someone “working for” companies and more as someone fortunate enough to work alongside talented people throughout his life.
His professional work in optics paralleled his personal passion for telescope making and astronomical instrumentation. Over the years, Jack built numerous telescopes and developed a deep appreciation for historic astronomical instruments. His collection eventually included antique Alvan Clark & Sons telescopes dating back to the 19th century.
More Than Half a Century with DAS
Since joining DAS in 1969, Jack has served the organization in numerous leadership roles, including Vice President, President, Executive Board member, and Chief Observer.
In July 2000, he was officially named Chief Observer of the Denver Astronomical Society, a role that reflected both his extensive observing experience and his commitment to public outreach.
Jack also served on the VanNattan-Hanson Scholarship Committee and has long advocated for participation in national astronomy organizations and observing programs.
His dedication to the Society extended well beyond titles and positions. Members of DAS have long known Jack as someone who would reliably volunteer his time and equipment for public nights, school visits, and outreach events. During public programs at Chamberlin Observatory, he often set up his personal Clark refractor and remained throughout the evening to help visitors experience the night sky. Even on cloudy nights when observing became impossible, Jack was known for keeping guests informed and entertained with stories about astronomy, telescopes, and the history of the observatory.
Preserving Chamberlin Observatory
Jack’s connection to Chamberlin Observatory has spanned decades.
In addition to participating in monthly public nights and star parties, he also played an active role in efforts surrounding the preservation and restoration of the observatory and its historic 20-inch Clark refractor.
For many newer members, Jack became a living link to earlier generations of amateur astronomy — connecting the classic era of telescope making and public observatories with today’s outreach efforts.
His lifelong passion for antique astronomical equipment and historic observatories helped preserve not only instruments, but also the traditions and culture of amateur astronomy itself.
Recognition Beyond DAS
Jack’s contributions to amateur astronomy have been recognized far beyond Denver.
In 2003, the Western Amateur Astronomers presented him with the G. Bruce Blair Award, honoring his decades of service as an ambassador for astronomy.
The award recognized not only his work with DAS and the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, but also his tireless commitment to public education, telescope making, and mentoring fellow amateur astronomers.
A 2009 feature in The Denver Post highlighted Jack’s continued enthusiasm for astronomy and his enduring role within the local astronomy community.
Still Chasing Eclipses
Even after decades in astronomy, Jack’s passion for observing has never faded.
In 2024, longtime friend and caregiver Dave Zielsdorf helped Jack travel more than 2,000 miles round trip to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, by way of Texas, to observe the April 8 total solar eclipse.
For the trip, Jack brought along an antique 3.5-inch Alvan Clark & Sons telescope dating back to around 1870. During the partial phases of the eclipse, he used a Herschel wedge to project the Sun’s image, then observed directly through the telescope during totality.
Jack later described the eclipse as only the third total solar eclipse he had witnessed — but by far the best.
The story perfectly reflects the same enthusiasm that first began with a childhood view of the Moon through binoculars so many decades ago.
Keep Looking Up
The Trustee Emeritus Award recognizes far more than years of service on the Executive Board. It recognizes a lifetime spent sharing astronomy with others. Through public outreach, telescope making, mentorship, leadership, restoration work, and countless nights under the stars, Jack Eastman has helped shape the Denver Astronomical Society for generations.
For many members, Jack represents the very best traditions of amateur astronomy: curiosity, craftsmanship, generosity, and a willingness to always share the view through the eyepiece. The Denver Astronomical Society congratulates Jack Eastman on receiving the Trustee Emeritus Award and thanks him for more than half a century of dedication to the Society and the astronomy community.
