A Backyard Astronomer's Diary With Jim Harstad

Welcome to my newly rebranded podcast: “Consider the Night Sky with Jim Harstad.”  My favorite thing about doing a podcast is learning new things.  Consider the Night Sky is where I can share as I learn.  In each episode, I'll be looking at our basic understandings of stars, planets, and other things to figure out what we know, who figured it out, and how they did it.  New episodes will be dropping soon so stay tuned.

The Pleiades, often referred to as the Seven Sisters, stand as a prominent and captivating open star cluster within the constellation Taurus. This celestial grouping is perhaps the most identifiable star cluster in the night sky, having been observed throughout human history.Observing Charts for this Episode

Epsilon Lyrae is a double star system, often referred to as the Double-Double. When observed with the naked eye, it appears as a single point of light. However, with binoculars or a small telescope, you can see that Epsilon Lyrae is composed of at least two distinct stars, Epsilon 1 and Epsilon 2.  If you have a telescope with 100mm aperture or more, you may be able to see that this is not merely a pair of stairs but a pair of two very closely spaced pairs of stars.Observing Charts for this Episode

As amateur astronomers, when we go out to view the night sky, we use a variety of tools.  Sometimes it's as simple as an astronomy app on a phone.  We might use binoculars or a small telescope.  The way we choose to view the sky will result in different viewing experiences.  We know what the sky looks like when we simply turn our eyes upwards. When we use binoculars or a telescope, we see things differently.Observing Chart for This Episode

Star hopping is a technique used by amateur astronomers to navigate the night sky and locate specific celestial objects. The technique involves identifying a series of bright stars and using them as a guide to navigate to the target object.  It requires some practice and patience, but it can be a rewarding way to explore the night sky. With some basic knowledge of the constellations and a willingness to learn, anyone can use this technique to enhance their amateur astronomy experience. We're going to get some practice at using this technique in this episode.Observing Charts for This Episode

When we look at the constellation Ursa Major, The Great Bear, we are seeing a sight that is mostly invisible to many in the mid-latitudes of the southern hemisphere.  If you live in Sydney, Cape Town, or Buenos Aires, you would struggle to see even a portion of this constellation on the horizon.  Constellations that are in the northern sky, like Ursa Major, appear very low in the sky as you move into the southern hemisphere, disappearing completely if you go far enough south.  Ursa Major is visible throughout the year from most locations in the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of the best-known constellations and is easily recognized because of the familiar asterism it contains, commonly known as the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is a group of seven bright stars that form a recognizable pattern, or asterism, in the sky. Observing Charts for This Episode

In October, 1610, Galileo turned his telescope on Venus. He followed the planet and watched it change phases like the moon, going from gibbous to a thin crescent over several months. The appearance of phases demonstrated clearly that Venus orbits the sun, not the earth. Galileo was not surprised by this observation, it had been predicted as a necessary consequence of the Copernican model which held that the earth and planets orbit the sun. Hypothesis led to prediction which lead to an observational test. The phases of Venus, from crescent to half lit to gibbous, provided a key piece of scientific insight into the notion of a sun-centered solar-system.Observing Charts for This Episode

There is no object in the night sky that is more storied than the moon. As a thin crescent it follows the setting sun over the western horizon or leads the way for the sun before dawn in the east. As the moon becomes full, it illuminates our night. The midnight full moon rises high in the sky and turns night into a wonderland of soft illumination. Near the horizon, the moon backlights the landscape with light and dark effects. Its surface features of dark and light areas form familiar shapes. The moon is no stranger to us but can still surprise and delight us with its many aspects. In this episode, we'll take a closer look at Earth's nearest neighbor.Observing Charts for This Episode

If you've ever spent time in the country, away from artificial lights, and looked up at a clear moonless sky, then you've seen a sight that is becoming far too rare. The stars are dazzling in their brightness and numbers. The brightest planets, Jupiter and Venus, seem to faintly light the landscape. Before the invention of electric street lights, this was the night sky that everyone knew. It's clear why the stars, and the patterns they form, were regarded as familiar companions to people of antiquity. The shapes in the sky defined creatures and heroes, a ready guide to local lore. These figures in the sky are the constellations. Different cultures assigned different names and stories to the shapes made by the stars, but the common outcome was to make the night sky familiar; to be at home beneath the stars.

I'm Jim Harstad, amateur astronomer. I'm not a professional scientist, not any kind of scientist, but I am a science enthusiast. I like to go out to the backyard in the evening with my small telescope and see what's up in the night sky. I got interested in astronomy as a kid, learning the night sky and exploring with a telescope from my suburban back yard. That's something I still enjoy. And that's what this podcast is all about. Backyard astronomy that we can all do. Bring your binoculars or your small telescope and join me.