Author Archives: Shane

Filters: It never ceases to surprise me how few observers have a set of 2-inch high quality UHC, OIII and H-Beta filters and instead more people seem to have a couple UHC and OIII 1.25” filters which they seldom use. They likely migrated to 2-inch low power eyepieces and their 1.25” lowest powers yield exitContinue reading “Episode 310 – Winter Wide Field Wonders”

months. Stars You Should Know (Dave Chapman, 2023) Coming up:  Spring (May) Summer (July) Fall (September) South Polar (November) Focussing on classic Greek-Roman names with occasional indigenous references. The classic names are used in some GoTo telescope software for sky alignment (e.g. Sky-Watcher SynScan and Celestron). Spectral classes O B A F G K MContinue reading “Episode 308 – Northern Stars You Should Know With Dave Chapman Show Notes”

March 1st – There will be a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, for us in central North America they will be about a ½ degree apart, that’s still close enough to see in the same field of view in most low- medium power telescopes! So you’ll see the crescent of Venus and maybe Jupiter’s Moons.Continue reading “Episode 304 – Objects to Observe in March 2023 Show Notes”

Telescope photos by Dale Eason Orion photo by Gavin Orpin

In this episode we’ll talk about the Zodiacal light, Venus and Neptune in the same field of view, the Moon pairing up with Venus & Jupiter then the Moon before it gets so close to Mars in your telescope. Oh and just to let those listening on the 365 Days of Astronomy you can catchContinue reading “Episode 297 – Objects to Observe in February 2023 Show Notes”

Focusing on classic Greek-Roman names with occasional indigenous references. The classic names are used in some GoTo telescope software for sky alignment (e.g. Sky-Watcher SynScan and Celestron). Spectral classes O B A F G K M — Annie Jump Cannon  References: Star Tales (2018) Ian Ridpath Star Names (1963) Richard Hinckley Allen  Sky Safari 7Continue reading “Episode 294 – Stars You Should Know Show Notes”

January 1st – Occultation of Uranus by the Moon for Eastern NA just after dark and UK Europe etc. in early AM. January 3rd – Another Occultation of Mars by the Moon Favoured regions would be West Coast of NA just before dawn on the 3rd. Maybe those in Japan and Alaska have the bestContinue reading “Episode 287 – Objects to Observe in January 2023 Show Notes”

Check out Tom’s website for more info about his journey making amateur telescopes https://astronomy.tomotvos.ca Here is a picture of Mel Bartels and Tom at the Black Forest star party. Mel was to look through the scope he helped Tom make: Here is Artemis ready for action: And finally, for the technically-minded, here is the before/afterContinue reading “Episode 272 – ATM-ing with Special Guest Tom Otvos Show Notes”

Nov. 1 – 1st Quarter & Saturn 4-degree N of the Moon Nov. 3rd – Double Shadow Transit, we might catch the end here…good for EST and East. And if you happen to be listening from Antarctica…the asteroid Juno will be Occulted by the Moon…within 1-degree for elsewhere. Juno, otherwise known as 3 Juno becauseContinue reading “Episode 270 – Objects to Observe in November 2022”