Astro Joe

Hi there! My name is Astro Joe and I’m an avid amateur astronomer. I’m currently the president of the Houston Astronomical Society, where I’ve been a member for several years. I’m also a member of the American Astronomical Society, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Astronomers Without Borders, and ASSET, the Astronomical Society of South East Texas.

I also served as the Outreach chairperson for the Houston Astronomical Society for a number of years, which really allowed me to share my passion for astronomy with thousands of others. I had the privilege of winning the 2017 Omega Centauri Award for my efforts in public astronomy outreach and education, which is one of the most special awards I’ve ever received.

Additionally, I am a NASA Solar System Ambassador. In this role, I get to tell the story of NASA to anyone who wants to listen. It’s been a wonderful group to be associated with, and I look forward to doing so much more with them.

I’ve been doing astronomy for most of my life. I got my first telescope when I was 5 – a simple, 60mm Jason refractor on a flimsy wooden tripod. But boy, was I hooked! Needless to say, I’ve had many other telescopes since then, but that Jason telescope was my first gateway to the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond.

Since then, I’ve gotten other telescopes, which I share on the My Gear page. As a matter of fact, I probably have too many telescopes (is that even possible?), but I put them all to good use.

I do post on my social media sites, so give those a look when you have some time. Who knows, I might post some star parties nearby that you can join me at!