Dmitri Maksutov - Brief Biography

[Macavity]

Not much given to bio-reading, but this held my attention:

Dmitri Maksutov (The Man and His Telescopes)

Good job he survived that 200' fall!

[JAO]

It is a good article, given there is little in English about the man. Also it is more accurate than the Wiki stuff. I am in the process of trying to research Dmitri and have engaged the services of a Russian translator, as most of the important material isn't available in English. It's a work in progress!

Also as a side note it's a shame that the authors Eduard Trigubov and Yuri Petrunin seem to have stopped making Maksutovs and are now just concentrating on refractors. By all accounts their Maksutovs were pretty impressive.

[Peter Drew]

I visited Pulkovo Observatory back in 1976 and had the pleasure of seeing Dmitri's original Maksutov in a glass display case. There was a 30" refractor objective there which I seem to recall was attributed to him. When I started making telescopes commercially in 1972 (Bedford Astronomical Supplies) I believe it was the first time they had been available made in the UK. I made over 100 units ranging from 3.5" to 12" aperture using optics from James Muirden, Astronomical Equipment and David Hinds, the smallest often referred to as the "poor man's Questar". Maksutovs are potentially a great telescope but price and the frustratingly long cool down time in those days meant that they were eclipsed by the up and coming SCT's.

[Macavity]

I see he did at least secure the deserved naming of a crater on the far side of the moon. Russian science (scientists) is an area that has often fascinated me.

The name of Pulkovo (Or rather the picture of the imposing 26" refractor) is certainly etched on my mind - From obsessive reading of the 1964 "Observers book of Astronomy". <G> I even checked out my slide rule - At least, as a minor area of commonality (with DM), I have actually USED one!