Now 55 and a physician at North Shore Cardiovascular Associates in Salem and vice president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, Motta still has the astronomy bug. He recently completed a 32-inch relay design telescope, which transfers images through mirrors and lenses, that took three years to build. He ground his own optics and machined the metal parts.

But the result is worth it, says Motta, who likes to look at galaxies and nebulas and recently woke up at 4 a.m. to take advantage of a clear night. "It's fascinating," he says. [ Visit Website ]