Who is Al Nagler?

What does “artificial intelligence” have to say about Al Nagler?

Albert “Al” Nagler was a highly influential optical engineer, entrepreneur, and amateur astronomer who founded Tele Vue Optics. The company, which he started in 1977, became a globally recognized producer of high-quality eyepieces and telescopes. Nagler passed away on October 27, 2025, at the age of 90. 

Key details about Al Nagler and his career:

• Nagler designed the wide-field “Nagler eyepiece” in the early 1980s. These eyepieces provided a larger, more immersive, and sharper field of view. His work is considered to have elevated the entire eyepiece industry.
• Nagler designed optical systems for astronaut visual simulators for the Gemini and Apollo Lunar Module programs.
• Nagler was an active member of the amateur astronomy community. An asteroid was named 10715 Nagler in his honor in 1999.
• Tele Vue Optics was co-founded with his wife, Judi, and later became a family-run business involving their son, David.
• Nagler held patents for several inventions, including optical products and safety brakes for electric motors.
• Nagler received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Astronomical League in July 2025. 

I had the honor to meet both Al Nagler and his wife at the 2017 Southern Star Astronomy conference in April of 2017:

Al Nagler: 2017 Southern Star Astronomy Convention: Little Switzerland, North Carolina

I was so sorry to hear about Al Nagler’s passing:

It was the April 2017 Southern Star Astronomy Convention sponsored by the Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club, when a scheduled speaker for the convention cancelled at the last minute.

I’m not a member of the Charlotte Club, but had helped them over a few years to fill speaker positions at Southern Star.

A new speaker was needed…and really quick!

The Charlotte club officer in charge of Southern Star contacted me about finding a new speaker and asked if I could help in finding “the perfect” person to fill this now vacant position.

A solution, as I already had someone in mind:

I knew that Sue and Alan French were attending NEAF at that time. So, I called Sue via cell phone, and asked if she would talk to Al Nagler and see if he was interested in being a speaker at Southern Star.

Al was indeed interested and both he and his wife, accepted the invitation. 

Al gave a fabulous presentation concerning “everything anyone would want to know” about eyepieces. I don’t think anyone would know more about the science of eyepieces than Al Nagler. The presentation, to say the least was excellent…so much so, I even took notes.

Al Nagler and his wife Judi…two great people!

I was able to talk with Al and his wife for extended periods during the event, and also enjoyed having lunch with them in the Wild Acres cafeteria.

Photo as following: Al signing my “1000+ The Amateur Astronomer’s Field Guide to Deep Sky Observing” by Tom Lorenzin at the April 2017 Southern Star Astronomy Convention in Little Switzerland, North Carolina.

My signed 1000+ by Al Nagler and the late Tom Lorenzin pictured below: