Want to know what’s up in June?  Check out this podcast!  Scripted by me….voiced by my good buddy Sandra.  Courtesy IMAGINOVA and AstroShorts

Want to know what’s up in July’s skies?  Casey and I produced this piece for IMAGINOVA.  It’s a freely available Podcast that IMAGINOVA has on their website SPACE.COM in their NIGHTSKY section and it’s also available on ASTROSHORTS.

Casey voiced this piece while I scripted it.  The podcast highlights the different things going on in the sky on various July evenings -and one early morning too.

VIDEO courtesy:  IMAGINOVA

Sky Chart by Starry Night Pro, copyright IMAGINOVA

Take a look in the west as the sun sets on July 1st.  Chances are, the first heavenly object you will see is the planet Venus.  Canada Day brings a bonus.  Keep watching and as the sky gets darker, Saturn will be revealed just a little above and to the right.  Of course, this close proximity is an optical illusion.  Saturn is over eighteen times further away.  Photographers take note -The beautiful pairing of Saturn and Venus is an opportunity for some great images.

Do you have a telescope?  Even small scopes can pick out Saturn’s rings and some of its many moons.  Now is the time to visit because Saturn is slowly sinking in the sky and will be visible only a little while longer this summer.  Take the opportunity while you have the chance.

Setting up in Whitby

Photo Credit: Steve Bevan

On May 19th, astronomers all over the world got their telescopes out and shared their views with the public. My friends Arnold and Pedro joined me in Whitby Ontario where we were visited by many curious people. Venus, the Moon and Saturn were easily visible and many people were blown away by what they saw.

This event happened again and again all over the globe. You can see the results in the photo gallery available on-line at www.astroshorts.com which collected and displayed the photos on behalf of the International Sidewalk Astronomers . Take a look. Some of these events were HUGE!

Last Saturday, amateur astronomers around the world brought out their telescopes and showed views of the Moon, Venus, Saturn and other celestial objects to the general public. The first video we received was from our astronomer friends in Byron Bay, Australia.  They submitted their video on-line to AstroShorts.com.

My good friend Casey and I made the journey to Suffern, New York to check out NEAF, the NorthEAst Astronomy Forum.

Here’s our report as posted on AstroShorts.com

Saturday April 21st is International Astronomy Day.  The Durham Region Astronomical Association has a wonderful display all afternoon and evening at the Parkwood Estate in Oshawa.  Visitors can check out the telescopes, see the displays and experience views they’ve never seen before!  During the day you can see specially fitered views of the sun and solar flares with our special telescopic equipment.  In the evening it’s Saturn and its rings along with other celestial delights.  Indoor displays offer insight into the wonders of the heavens too.  It’s worth checking out!  I hope to see you there!

One of the hardest things for astronomers to do is share their knowledge and experience with other like-minded people.  We’re all so scattered over the continent.  The advent of the Internet and blogs such as this have gone a long way towards connecting people with an interest in space and astronomy.  Still, you have to look all around the Internet for the information you want.

I’ve done something about it.

AstroShorts is my contribution to the community of space and astronomy enthusiasts.  Think “YouTube” for astronomers and you’ll be pretty close to the concept envisioned for AstroShorts.  It’s free for people to view, share and upload astronomy and space related video.  Unlike other web-based video sites, this one is devoted to just space and astronomy. Now, people will have just one place they can go to find out what’s happening in the night sky, what to look for in a telescope, tips on astrophotograpy and so on. If you are an astronomer, consider doing a video and upload it to share with others.

Clear Skies!