With an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and a 35-year career measuring the performance of high-speed computers at IBM and Oracle, Ted Blank’s love of amateur science led him to join and then become President of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society.

After taking a break to obtain a Master’s Degree in Freshwater Biology from U.C. Berkeley, Ted and his family moved around quite a bit, courtesy of IBM – first to Connecticut, then New York, then three years in Japan, several years in California, and finally a move to New Hampshire where they spent almost fifteen years in the Seacoast area.

His passion for the night sky has inspired countless others since he moved here from New Hampshire. Within hours of arriving in Fountain Hills he hosted a public stargazing party in Centennial Circle, setting the stage for the next ten years. Since settling in Fountain Hills, Ted has been instrumental in achieving and maintaining the town’s International Dark Sky Community status. 

He is a founding board member of both the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association and the International Dark Sky Discovery Center, where he currently serves as Observatory Champion. As a NASA Solar System Ambassador, he frequently speaks at the Fountain Hills Community Center and other venues on topics ranging from helicopters on Mars to “Ted’s Top Ten Astronomy Discoveries of the Past Year.”

He even presented an actual “Ted Talk” at the TEDX event held in Fountain Hills in 2020, and his astronomy talks have become so popular that cruise lines frequently hire him to lecture aboard their ships.

In 2018, Dark Sky International recognized him as a Dark Sky Defender for his dedication to dark sky preservation. Ted has been a key figure in every Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival since its beginning, providing leadership and organizing activities such as the Solar System Walk, the Light Shielding Demo Tent, the Physics of Light Exploration, the Silent Auction and the evening Star Party. He assists new telescope owners in setup and use and refurbishes telescope donations to raise funds for the Festival.  

Ted and his beautiful wife Peggy are ever grateful for their wonderful town and the beautiful starry skies they enjoy every night.