All of the Astronz team are active stargazers. We actually use the products that we sell so we are able to give the best advice.
Andrew Buckingham
General Manager
Andrew has an extensive career in public outreach astronomy and loves teaching people the night sky. He has developed a considerable knowledge of telescopes, binoculars and astronomical equipment. He regularly visits our supplier’s factories to keep up to date on products and ensure quality.
Prior to Astronz, Andrew led the public programmes at Stardome Observatory.
Andrew is a long term member of the Auckland Astronomical Society and the International Planetarium Society
Hannah Ralph
Operations Officer
Hannah is an avid Astronomer and is currently in her final year of her Master of Science in Astrophysics. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics at Auckland University of Technology, and majored in Radio Astronomy & Physics. When her studies are finished, Hannah is keen on researching exoplanets through Radio Astronomy.
Steve Dean
OPERATIONS OFFICER
Steve is our resident astrophotographer, with many years of imaging solar system and deep sky objects under his belt, Steve has become our go-to in the world of astrophotography.
He’s well-acquainted with the ins and outs of Astronz gear being a regular user of a wide range of equipment. Steve leads our technical side and is happy to give advice on the world of astrophotography.
John Drummond
CONSULTANT
John has an MSc (Astronomy) and is currently researching the history of cometary astronomy in NZ as part of his PhD – he’s a student in the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland.
A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of NZ, John was the President of the Royal Astronomical Society of NZ for 3 years and is the Society’s Executive Secretary.
John’s astro-photographs have been used in many overseas books and magazines and two NZ stamps. He was the Director of the Royal Astronomical Society of NZ’s Astrophotography Section for thirteen years, until 2018. He is the Director of that Society’s Comet and Meteor Section.
John became fixated with astronomy at the age of ten when his mother pointed out ‘The Pot’ in Orion. He was hooked! He joined the local Astronomical Society and started regular group meteor watches, telescope viewing and listening to astronomy talks. John lives near Gisborne where he has a range of reflecting telescopes up to 0.5-metres in diameter. He uses these to run Gisborne Astro Tours. He images with these telescopes and CCDs, and carries out astrometry of comets, asteroids and NEOs, and sends his observations to the IAU Minor Planet Center.
John has helped confirm many comet discoveries. John has also co-discovered about 20 exoplanets in collaboration with the Ohio State University. He is a co-author of more than 60 research papers and is a contributing editor for the Australian Sky and Telescope magazine. He enjoys giving talks around New Zealand on historically-famous astronomers and astronomy in general.
John is a secondary school science teacher. He enjoys surfing the great waves of Gisborne and pottering around on his small farm tending to his sheep.