Author Archives: Shane

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”

October 3rd – first quarter Moon & Lunar Straight Wall visible October 5th – Saturn 4 degrees North of the Moon October 7th – Neptune is 4 degrees North of Moon October 8th – Morning Sky – Mercury greatest Elongation West 18-degrees from sun. Best morning apparition this year. October 8th Jupiter NW of theContinue reading “Episode 261 – Objects to Observe in October 2022”

August 1 – Aug. starts with a Conjunction  with Mars 1.4-degrees North of Uranus August 4th – Mercury 0.7-degrees North of Regulus… best for southern hemisphere observers August 5th – First Quarter Moon & Straight Wall visible August 9th – Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter for E. NA August 11th – Full Moo August 12thContinue reading “Episode 244 – Objects to Observe in August 2022 Show Notes”

Welcome to Episode 239 of the Actual Astronomy Podcast: Summer Shorts & Favourite Fields – Observing Dark Nebula: A Beginner’s Guide. William Herschel was the first to notice these things when he was doing his sweeps in the 1780’s… he wrote of Scorpius “Here truly is a hole in the sky” However, these were notContinue reading “Episode 239 – Observing Dark Nebula: A Beginner’s Guide Show Notes”

Welcome to Episode 238 of the Actual Astronomy Podcast: Summer Shorts & Favourite Fields – Surfing the Summer Star Clouds. Star Clouds are either denser regions of stars, dust and gas or regions that appear defined by dark obscuring matter. NGC 6445 in Scorpius Large Sagittarius Star Cloud – Central Bulge – Downtown MW –Continue reading “Episode 238 – Surfing the Summer Star Clouds Show Notes”

Welcome to Episode 237 of the Actual Astronomy Podcast: Summer Shorts & Favourite Fields A Binocular Tour of the Summer Milky-Way. Let’s go on a Binocular Tour of the Summer Milky-Way This is one I did using 7x35mm binoculars last week What do we need to get started? Binoculars? Red Light? Chart? Reclining Lounger StartContinue reading “Episode 237 – Binocular Tour of the Summer Milky Way Show Notes”

Scorpius: The Scorpion – actually looks like it’s constellation name sake Easy M4 – You can easily see Large extended, chains just W. of Antares – a globular cluster in the constellation of Scorpius. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 and catalogued by Charles Messier in 1764. It was the firstContinue reading “Episode 233 – Scorpius Deep Dive Show Notes”

What are some easy starting advice for beginners getting into star gazing? The sky is broken up into degrees of measurement, 60 arc seconds = 1 arc minute = 1 degree.  THe Moon is about a ½ degree and your Fist = 10 degrees Try binoculars on the night sky / the partially lit moonContinue reading “Episode 226 – Objects to Observe In June 2022”

A great conjunction of sorts happens from the End of March through the first week of April. Mars and Saturn are in a binocular / wide field telescopic field, on the 4th &5th Mars is closer than 0.5-degrees south of Saturn. April 3rd – Uranus 0.6-degrees north of crescent moon April 8th – Lunar XContinue reading “Episode 209 – Objects to Observe in April 2022 Show Notes”