Babak Sedehi was 14 when he first became fascinated with examining space through a telescope. "As a kid, one time, I got a telescope as a gift," the owner of Burnaby-based Canadian Telescopes says. "I was hooked."
Looking at the sky through a telescope is much more intimate and personal than seeing images taken from the Hubble Space Telescope, he says.
"When you see the image directly, it's captivating in a different way," explains Babak.
Looking at the night sky expands the mind, he says.
"I see something and I think, 'I've been walking underneath this every day,'" he says.
It isn't just the images from deep space that fascinate him, though.
Babak says even looking at the moon is an extraordinary experience.
"You look over and over, trying to get a better view, and when you do, it amazes you," he says.
Stargazers and planetary observers in Burnaby and the Greater Vancouver area are in for some amazing viewing during the next two months.
On May 20, there will be an annular solar eclipse, visible from the Lower Mainland - though Babak says the best place to view it would be Arizona.
On June 5, local astronomers might get a chance to see the transit of Venus, he adds, when Venus passes directly between the earth and the sun.
The next transit of Venus isn't expected for 105 years, Babak says, so people should not miss the opportunity.
He is a sponsor of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Vancouver, and of Simon Fraser University's astronomy club, bringing his telescopes to their events for use by the public, he says.
Both organizations are planning events for the transit of Venus, he adds.
Babak, who is originally from Iran, travels the world to view the sky in locations from New York to Chile to Hawaii.
He has been involved in astronomy for 25 years, he says. He started his business, Canadian Telescopes, in 2009. He recently set up his most recent showroom in Burnaby - he was previously located in Coquitlam - at 204B-3430 Brighton Ave.
He moved there because of the central location, Babak says, adding it is the best place for shipping and receiving, and for people to come to his store, as well.
People entering only see a small selection of the telescopes he sells nationally through his online business, www.canadiantelescopes.com.
He carries varieties of the three types of telescopes - classic, with the lens on the front and an eyepiece at the end; Newtonian telescopes, which use a mirror to reflect back the image to an eyepiece - Babak calls them "light buckets"; and a hybrid of the two.
Many people assume telescopes will be a costly investments, Babak says, but the telescopes he carries for first-timers start around $90, with the best in the $150 range.
But the instruments increase in price depending on the type of use and technology. Beginners can start out with a pair of binoculars, he adds, and begin studying the sky.
"Learn the sky first," he suggests, "then use a telescope."
Those looking into amateur astronomy should go to an astronomy club for more information, and start with a small telescope with good quality optics, he adds.
Babak's passion for astronomy extends beyond the boundaries of his store or website. He co-founded Astronomers Without Borders, which uses donations to send telescopes and resources to astronomy clubs in developing countries.
Babak also offers a mobile planetarium service to schools in greater Vancouver, where he will travel to the school and set up a mini-planetarium in the gym, with the show's content determined by factors such as the age group and curriculum of the students.
His excitement is infectious as he gestures to the wealth of technology in his store, after pointing out the type of telescope Galileo Galilei might have used.
"It took us 400 years to get here from Galileo," he says.
