Meet Robby Tackett, your Star Guide

Robby Tackett is the Star Guide for Spencer’s Observatory and is an independent scholar of astronomy. He has owned telescopes for about 20 years, and reads everything he can get his hands on about the subject.

Originally a Florida native, Robby moved to Tucson in 2006 with his wife, Sheryl. He met Spencer & Kerstin Block in 2007 when he brought his handmade metal furniture into their consignment store located at Cat Mountain Station, and they all quickly became friends. Robby & Sheryl subsequently started RS Furniture, setting up shop at the Station, and closed their storefront in 2009. They currently run their business from their home located a few miles down the road from the Station.

Robby was on the construction crew from start to finish building Cat Mountain Lodge. In addition, he fabricated the front gate, awnings, and other custom metal work at both Cat Mountain Lodge & Station. He was instrumental in securing the builder for Spencer’s Observatory, overseeing the project, and was responsible for choosing the telescopes and accessories.

Besides astronomy, Robby also skydives, gardens, does custom metal work, and restores furniture with Sheryl. On their one acre property they raise chickens for meat, eggs and entertainment, tend to a large garden for vegetables, harvest rainwater in three 500-gallon cisterns, do most of their cooking in a homemade solar oven, and will soon be heating water through a solar water heater they're making out of a discarded hot water heater tank and old refrigerator.

Robby enjoys his regular “sky talks” with teachers, professors and other astronomers who visit downtown Tucson’s Skybar where he works three nights a week, and tremendously enjoys giving personalized Star Tours at Spencer’s Observatory.

"My aspirations are to make Spencer’s Observatory a full-time venture,
and I’m proud to be a part of its success.” ~ Robby Tackett