Got your eye on that $40 telescope at Walmart? Wait, hear us out first! Fraser and Pamela discuss strategies for getting into amateur astronomy - one of the most worthwhile hobbies out there. ...

Read the full blog entry

When I tried to play it all I got was last weeks episode. I am using Itunes. Anyone else have this problem?

Same here. I listen via the mp3 link on the website which is missing for this week. Clicking on the download link also plays last weeks episode.

That's because the download link should point to

http://www.astronomycast.com/shows/AstroCast-061023.mp3

which it doesn't

HTH.

Got it. Thank you.

It's fixed now thanks

Hi All,

Sorry for the link confusion. I flubbed up while typing in the shownotes. The problem should be fixed now.

It must be heartwarming to know that so many people are quick to contact you when the system hiccups.

Sorry, I just needed my fix this morning.

I subscribed to the excellent podcasts, but I'm unable to receive episode 7 via iTunes. I can download it as a straight mp3 but iTunes doesn't recognise it as a podcast. Also when I refresh the Astronomy Cast list it is telling me that the URL is wrong, but I haven't changed anything since I subscribed.

Can anyone help to get this episode via the podcast in iTunes?

I can't get it via Itunes either.

Okay, it all seems to be working now. Let me know if you're still having problems.

__________________
Fraser Cain
Publisher
Universe Today - Free space news delivered by email every weekday.

Got it now.

Good show this week, as usual. I'm glad you suggested finding a local astronomy club and hooking up with them before purchasing scopes. We (our club) is always fielding questions from people interested in getting a scope, and we encourage them to come on out to our observatory and see what we have to offer, perhaps join our club and hang out with us for a while before getting their own personal instruments. And hey, sometimes they just stick around and use what we have, since our observatory has a pretty good assortment of telescopes and auxillary equipment for the members' use.

Around Christmas time we feature a page on our website on how to choose a telescope, with many links to sites online giving the latest information.

Both Sky & Telescope and Astronomy have - on their websites - listings of clubs all over the USA and the world, and so does the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. There is also AstronomyClubs.com.

The only thing I would take a small issue with is that it's not really "easy" to do astrophotography. I've done it for over 20 years and still don't find it easy. It's a learning opportunity at all times, but the rewards are great.

Otherwise, keep up the good work. Can't wait until next week's show.

Great podcast, I look forward to getting to listen to ep 7 (I thought it was my iTunes having a problem).

Thank you. That was a great episode. I bought 20x80 astronomical binoculars with some of my wedding present money. I love using them, but they are heavy. More often than not, I use my eyes or my 7x35 binoculars that sit readily available on a bookshelf.

I have one of those dinky $15 "telescopes". I don't think I've ever seen anything through it. Someone gave me an inexpensive department store telescope. It took me forever to find Saturn, and by the time I called over the kids, Saturn had drifted out of the field of view. It was very frustrating.

I'll second the comment about astrophotography being within reach. I have taken photos of planets. You need to have a tripod and a way to have longer exposures. I do planet pictures on automatic. When several planets are together in the sky, you can photograph their rearrangement day to day as I did with
http://www.spacew.com/gallery/image003799.html
http://www.spacew.com/gallery/image003828.html

For example, right now, Saturn is hanging out in Leo. You could take pictures over the course of weeks to show how Saturn moves against the background of stars. Oops! You have to be up early in the morning to do that now, but you get the idea.

Paying attention to what's happening in the sky goes a long way.

Everything working fine now, great episode as usual.

Another excellent podcast and great advice for the budding amateur.

The only thing I would add is my general rule of thumb when considering buying a telescope. If the main selling point in the advertising blurb or from the salesperson is the telescope's power of magnification then it is probably best to give it a wide berth.

One of the unexpected perks to joining an astronomy club is being stumped by a 6 year old when she ask why a blue star is hotter than the yellow after viewing Alberio, or when an adult, upon looking at Jupiter, ask if it was Io where they found volcanos, and I can't remember the correct answer. Doing the public sessions for the museum, local nature society, etc., has been the most rewarding part of joining our local astronomy society. It is fun, and I've found that showing people the stars fails to disappointed often leading to some very interesting conversations.

Not only is Astronomy incredible fascinating, it's even more fun to share.

Hey, thanks for reccomending binoculars in ep. 7! I never thought of that transitional step-I was proccupied with searching ebay for telescopes. :-) You guys make astronomy so much more worthwile.

And here's something to look at with those binoculars ... Comet SWAN (http://cometography.com/lcomets/2006m4.html) has brightened to maybe naked eye visibility in dark skies. I took out my 7x35 binoculars and found it. Definitely a fuzzy comet, but not much tail. Just a smudge. Then I pulled out my 20x80 binoculars and was sure I was looking at a comet even though there still wasn't much tail. Current photos on the page above show only a faint tail.

Note that comets move, but it's in the western sky in early evening. I looked about halfway between Vega and Arcturus to find it. Arcturus is near the western horizon (follow the handle of the Big Dipper back to arc to Arcturus). Vega is overhead but toward the west. Pull out that planisphere Pamela mentioned to find Vega. The comet is the fuzzy thing halfway between them. At least tonight (26 Oct 2006) it is. And if the comet stays bright, it will be that that general vicinity for a few days.

While we were out, my daughter also saw a meteor. And we checked out the Andromeda Galaxy. Using binoculars made it easy to get out there and see things.

Agreed. Very good in binocs.

I looked at it a few nights ago, and again last night.

I went out to our observatory early, observed it in our 16-inch SCT.

Now for the new “Levy” comet. I was going to look for Faye, but upon going over my old notes I saw that one already.

But SWAN goes into the log, as my 46th comet observed over the years. But I want more, you understand!!!! MORE!!!!!!!

I'm more than happy with my binoculars, in a light pulluted small town in England. The best compromise between light gathering and magnification and price I found were 7 * 50 's, recomended me by an astronomer friend. Also I found a cover CD of Starry Night Sky for my PC; a good cheap piece of planetarium software is great for identifying constellations and bright objects: I also keep cross referring to what I see in the binoculars to the real time PC image; easy to find comet swan that way!

I just started having problems with the podcast on my ipod last week. It restarts my iPod every time I try to play any of the episodes of astronomy cast. None of my other podcasts/songs/etc. are having this problem so I'm assuming that the problem is with the podcast and not my iPod. I re-downloaded all of the podcasts but I'm still having troubles with it. Is anyone else having similar problems or is my iPod messed up?