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(Dave Chapman, 2023) 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 M — Annie Jump Cannon References: Star Tales (2018) Ian Ridpath Star Names (1963) Richard Hinckley AllenContinue reading “Episode 380 – Stars You Should Know – Southern Skies Edition with Dave Chapman”

Dec 4th – Mercury at greatest Elongation in evening sky 21-degrees Dec 5th – Last quarter Moon Dec 6 – Curtis X visible – Day of Darkness Dec 9 – Venus 4-degrees North of Moon Dec 10 – try to spot Uranus at M=5.7 this week in Aries Dec 12th – New Moon December 14Continue reading “Episode 379 – Observer’s Calendar for December 2023 Show Notes”

References: Star Tales (2018) Ian Ridpath Star Names (1963) Richard Hinckley Allen Sky Safari 7 Pro (star lore by Jim Kaler) A Concise Dictionary of Astronomy (1991) Jacqueline Mitton Stars You Should Know—Fall 11 bright stars —from mag. 1.2 to mag. 3.5 (most OK to find, even in the city) —8 are used for celestialContinue reading “Episode 364 – Fall Stars You Should Know with Dave Chapman Show Notes”

Observer’s Calendar for October 2023 People might have missed this one as we’re recording on October 1st but tonight the Moon Meets Jupiter and is only a few degrees away. October 2nd – Moon and Pleiades, the brightest star cluster in the Messier Catalogue meet up with the Moon just below and west of theContinue reading “Episode 363 – Observer’s Calendar”

Sept 1 – Neptune 1.4-degrees N of the Moon Sept 4 – Jupiter 3-degrees S of the Moon Sept 5 – Uranus 3-degrees S of the Moon What all this means is these planets are closeby in the sky as I don’t think they are close for here in NA. Sept. 6 – Last quarterContinue reading “Episode 354 – Observing Calendar For September 2023 Show Notes”

Stars You Should Know—Summer (Dave Chapman, 2023) Coming up: 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 M — Annie Jump Cannon References:Continue reading “Episode 348 – Dave Chapman’s Summer Stars You Should Know Show Notes”

August 1st – Full Moon August 2nd – Saturn 2-degrees above the Moon in VERY EARLY ie 1 am morning Sky August 8th  – Last quarter Moon  Jupiter 3-degrees below Moon in early morning sky August 10th – Mercury at greatest Elongation 27-degrees in Evening Sky – tough in very bright dusky sky 10 HygieaContinue reading “Episode 347 – Objects to Observe in August 2023”

Why would people learn Greek? charts use it the early astronomers used it ancient astronomers wanted a way to identify the stars in a constellation This was before telescopes, right? with their eyes they could see perhaps a dozen stars in a constellation so they though using the Greek alphabet, with 24 letters, would beContinue reading “Episode 343 Learn Greek Show Notes”

Stars You Should Know—Spring (Dave Chapman, 2023) Coming up: 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 M — Annie JumpContinue reading “Episode 326 – Spring Stars You Should Know with Dave Chapman Show Notes”

May 5th – Full Moon and a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse – but the Penumbra is just the outer part of Earth’s Shadow. For visual observers we might detect a mild dimming of the Moon .. but it’s not going through the Umbra so it won’t get dark or turn red and, having tried to seeContinue reading “Episode 324 – Objects to Observe in May 2023 Show Notes”