Author Archives: Shane

Welcome to Episode 175 of the Actual Astronomy Podcast we are calling this one Comet Leonard and other Objects to Observe in the December 2021 Night Sky. Comet Leonard is the big news for the month Erik wrote us with a link to an image someone took on Nov. 24th of Comet Leonard & NGC’sContinue reading “Episode 175 – Comet Leonard and Other Objects to Observe in the December 2021 Show Notes”

Best event for November: A partial lunar eclipse that presents better than Mays full lunar eclipse. Planetary Roundup Mercury and Venus are both covered by the Moon while Jupiter displays Moon shadows. Saturn is beginning to lose its altitude, numbing the time telescopic observing can view fine details. Uranus is at opposition, now is theContinue reading “Episode 167 – Objects to Observe in November 2021 Show Notes”

Best events for September: The Moon pairings with Uranus and Neptune make for great opportunities to hunt these elusive planets down. Planetary Roundup Mercury – remains lost in the Suns glow for the Northern Hemisphere while the Southern Hemisphere is treated to an excellent Eastern Elongation.  Venus – barely escapes the Suns glow hanging outContinue reading “Episode 150 – Objects to Observe in September 2021 Show Notes”

Objects to Observe in the August 2021 Night Sky Best event for August: Perseid Meteor Shower Peak Planetary Roundup Mercury, Venus and Mars are all lost in the bright sunlit part of the sky while Jupiter and Saturn reach opposition making for their best appearance for 2021. Uranus and Neptune are now much higher inContinue reading “Episode 140 – Objects to Observe in July 2021”

Objects to Observe in the July 2021 Night Sky Best event for July: Moon, Mars and Venus in the same binocular field. Planetary Roundup Mercury – The innermost planet has another Great Wesern Elongation, however, the bright sky during short summer nights makes just finding, let alone observing the planet, a challenge. Mars and VenusContinue reading “Episode 131 – Objects to Observe in July 2021 Show Notes”

Objects to Observe in the June 2021 Night Sky Best events for the month for June: Annular Solar Eclipse for those who can travel or lucky to live in the right location but for everyone else it’ll be the Planetary line up of Venus, Moon and Mars around mid-month. Planetary Roundup Mercury – The innermostContinue reading “Episode 123 – Objects to Observe in June 2021 Show Notes”

Ophiuchus lies between Aquila, Serpens, Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Hercules, northwest of the center of the Milky Way. The southern part lies between Scorpius to the west and Sagittarius to the east. In the northern hemisphere, it is best visible in summer. Ophiuchus is depicted as a man grasping a serpent…To the ancient Greeks, the constellationContinue reading “Episode 119 -Deep Sky Observing in Ophiuchus Show Notes”

Objects to Observe in the May 2021 Night Sky Best events for observing in May: Mercury/Venus and a Lunar Eclipse Planetary Roundup Mercury – Begins the month in Taurus where it appears as a very early evening object on the western horizon paired with Venus a wide field binocular distance away. Mercury reaches greatest easternContinue reading “Episode 115 – Objects to Observe in May 2021”