The time of evening also affects what one can see, he added.
“The moon is not available until 10 p.m., but Saturn is available,” he said.
Then on Thursdays, Alborzian leads the city of Burbank’s Astronomy Club at the Stough Canyon Nature Center, showing people how to make their own telescopes.
“If you like to build your own, the cost is your materials,” he said. “I don’t charge to teach them to build them. Some make a donation.”
Members also build telescopes to be donated to libraries or schools in less well-off districts, he added.
Alborzian brings his telescope to share with participants of the Stough Canyon Nature Center’s Full Moon Hikes and gives astronomy lectures at local libraries, said Carol Mercado, recreation supervisor at the nature center. He’s been asking the city if he can use the nature center as a location to build the telescopes, and a staff member was put in place to supervise the activity about 1 1/2 years ago, she said.
“I think it’s great,” Mercado said. “The first few times after we got it going we had 10 people come to make telescopes. At first, we didn’t think we’d get that many and that they would stick with it, but they have. And we’ve gained a few more people, so it really made it worthwhile.”
Alborzian’s enthusiasm and knowledge really draw people into the club, Mercado said.
“Bob is very passionate about astronomy, and science in general, and it carries over to the people he’s working with,” she said.
Alborzian tries to get youths interested in science, he said, and by building their own telescope, they learn a lot and save money.
