Episode 473 – Sirius Observing in Canis Major Show Notes

*M41: bright, magnitude 4.5, pinpoint stars in the Plossl eyepiece.  A great place to start, and some say, to end on a positive note. The only object viewed with the Plossl eyepiece. Cr121 is a mag 2.6 cluster 60 arcmin diameter.  There were about 2 dozen stars distinguishable in a loose structure characterized by 2Continue reading “Episode 473 – Sirius Observing in Canis Major Show Notes”

Episode 472 – Observer’s Calendar For March 2025 Show Notes

The Observer’s Calendar for March 2025 on Episode 472 of the Actual Astronomy podcast. I’m Chris and joining me is Shane. We are amateur astronomers who love looking up at the night sky and this podcast is for everyone who enjoys going out under the stars. March 4 th is Pancake Tuesday March 5 –Continue reading “Episode 472 – Observer’s Calendar For March 2025 Show Notes”

Episode 463 – Observer’s Calendar January 2025 Show Notes

Jan 1 – Happy New Year Jan 3- Venus 1.4 degrees N of Moon Quandrantid Meteors Peak ZHR 60 to 200 Jan 4 – Saturn 0.7 S of Moon – Occultation for very southern US and South America Jan 5- Neptune 1.1 S of Moon – Occultation for Central and North EU Jan 6 –Continue reading “Episode 463 – Observer’s Calendar January 2025 Show Notes”

Episode 458 – Observer’s Calendar for December 2024

Dec 1 Sunday  – New Moon Asteroid  13 Egeria at opposition m=9.9 Dec 4 Wed. – Early evening Venus 2-degrees above Moon –   Late evening Mars just over 2-degrees from M44 Dec 6th Friday – Moment of Global Darkness occurs when 85% of the global population experience night simultaneously.  According to Date & time .comContinue reading “Episode 458 – Observer’s Calendar for December 2024”

Episode 444 – Focusing on Perseus Show Notes

Double Cluster – an observing session doesn’t feel complete without a view of the double cluster. This is a set of clusters physically located together in space, they are bright and known since antiquity where Hipparchus catalogued it and Ptolemy, writing in his Almagest, noted them as a Little Cloud or Misty spot. The DoubleContinue reading “Episode 444 – Focusing on Perseus Show Notes”