The Actual Astronomy Podcast

Follow The Actual Astronomy Podcast
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Join amateur astronomers, Chris and Shane, as they share their experiences of observing the night sky.

Two Amateur Astronomers


    • Jun 23, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 44m AVG DURATION
    • 490 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from The Actual Astronomy Podcast with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from The Actual Astronomy Podcast

    #488 - Telescope Store Tours

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2025 63:37


    Chris shares he recent astronomy adventures in Toronto.

    #487 - Mini Solar Scope and Recent Observations

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 40:14


    Chris and Shane discuss using a mini Borg as a solar scope and share some observing reports. 

    #486 - Chiricahua Sky Village with Peter Monson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2025 70:06


    Chris and Shane welcome Peter Monson to the show to talk about the Chiricahua Sky Village in Arizona. 

    #485 - Observer's Calendar for June 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 33:18


    Chris and Shane talk about interesting things to observe in June 2025. Show notes are available at www.actualastronomy.com

    #484 - Star Party Primer

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 56:36


    Chris and Shane talk about their experiences at star parties. 

    #483 - Affordable Wide-Field with Brian Ventrudo

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 58:42


    Chris and Shane welcome Brian Ventrudo back to the show to talk about affordable wide-field observing options. 

    #482 - Organizing Astronomy Gear

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 41:33


    Chris and Shane talk about options to organize astronomy gear.

    #481 - April Observing Sessions

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 60:25


    Chris and Shane share their April observing reports.

    #480 - The Observer's Calendar for May 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 28:07


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to observe in May 2025. Show notes available on www.actualastronomy.com

    #479 - Comet C2025F2 SWAN and Listener Email

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 52:03


    Chris and Shane talk about an unexpected bright comet and also read some listener emails. 

    #478 - Favourite Equipment by Elimination

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 55:08


    Chris and Shane each share their choices if they had to pick one telescope, three eyepieces, two accessories, and one star chart from their current collections. 

    #477 - Observer's Calendar for April 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 28:06


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to observe in April 2025. Show notes available on www.actualastronomy.com

    #476 - Gear Talk and Listener Emails

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 50:27


    Chris and Shane discuss gear and listener emails. 

    #475 - A History of Planetary Motion with Dave Chapman

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 62:31


    Chris and Shane welcome Dave Chapman back to the show. Dave shares the history of how humans began to understand planetary motion. 

    #474 - Skies Over the Southern Ocean with Michael Wright

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 64:48


    Chris and Shane welcome Michael Wright back to the show to hear about the observing he was able to do in the Southern Hemisphere.

    #473 - Sirius Observing in Canis Major

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 57:47


    Chris and Shane read a listener observing report that is an excellent guide to objects in Canis Major. Show notes available on www.actualastronomy.com

    #472 - The Observer's Calendar for March 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 51:45


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to observe in March 2025. Show notes available at www.actualastronomy.com

    #471 - Naked Eye Observing

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 60:41


    Chris and Shane talk about some ways to observe during the winter when it's too cold to bring optics outside. 

    #470 - Gear Haul with Craig Levine

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 62:43


    Chris and Shane welcome Craig back to the show to talk about the amazing gear he received from his brother.

    #469 - Non-Astronomy Things We Do While Observing

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 32:29


    Chris and Shane talk about the things they do while astronomy that have nothing to do with astronomy.

    #468 - Observer's Calendar for February 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 38:56


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to observe in February 2025.

    #467 - Eyepiece Updates and Contact Red Polymer Advice

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 44:15


    Chris shares his eyepiece plans for the 7” TMB refractor and the guys continue the conversation on cleaning eyepieces. 

    #466 - Listener Emails and Christmas Gifts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2025 45:57


    Chris and Shane share listener emails.

    #465 - 7” Refractor First Light

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 64:33


    Chris shares his first light report with the 7” TMB refractor. Shane joined Chris for second light with the 7” and the guys talk about the views. 

    #464 - Observing Lists and Eyepiece Cleaning

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 53:12


    Chris and Shane talk about some of the non-observing astronomy things they do when they can't observe. 

    #463 - Observer's Calendar for January 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 37:24


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to observe in January 2025. Show notes are available at www.actualastronomy.com

    #462 - Atmospheric Dispersion Correctors

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 44:18


    Chris and Shane welcome welcome Alister Ling back to the show to talk about atmospheric dispersion correctors (ADC).

    #461 - Obstacles to Doing Astronomy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 38:17


    Chris and Shane share some obstacles that stop them from observing and what they do to mitigate. 

    #460 - Lost Astronomy Gear and Listener Emails

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 45:47


    Some astro gear is lost in transit and a bunch of listener emails to go through. 

    #459 - Winter Observing Plans

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 59:57


    Chris and Shane talk about gear on their wish lists and what they plan to do over winter. 

    #458 - Observer's Calendar for December 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 41:00


    Chris and Shane talk about interesting things to observe in December 2024. Show notes available on www.actualastronomy.com

    #357 - Autumn Observing

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 45:12


    Chris and Shane share their recent observing reports. 

    #456 - Observing in the Namibian Desert with Mark Radice

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 60:34


    Chris and Shane welcome Mark Radice back to the show. Mark is volunteering to operate an observatory in the Namibian desert and shares his amazing experience. 

    #455 - C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Observing Reports

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 44:32


    Chris and Shane go through a bunch of listener observations of C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.

    #454 The Observer's Calendar for November 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 28:25


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to observe in November 2024. Show notes available at www.actualastronomy.com

    #453 - Aurora Outburst

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 60:39


    Chris and Shane talk about their attempts aurora outburst on October 10th. 

    #452 - Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 38:47


    Chris and Shane talk about their attempts to observe comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas. 

    #451 - Explore Scientific 12mm 92 Degree and Other Observations

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 56:18


    Chris shares his opinion of his new Explore Scientific 12mm 92 degree eyepiece. 

    #450 - Observer's Calendar for October 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 27:14


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to observe in October 2024. Show notes are available at www.actualastronomy.com

    #449 - Getting Borg Telescopes Operational

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2024 48:14


    Chris had first light with his Borg 54. The guys share their Borg stories. 

    #448 - We Observed Together!

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 39:04


    Chris and Shane share their observing reports from some recent sessions. 

    #447 - Stars and Birds with Dave Chapman

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2024 61:06


    Chris and Shane welcome Dave Chapman back to the podcast to discuss bird-themed constellations. Show notes available at www.actualastronomy.com

    #446 - The Observer's Calendar for September 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 39:36


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to observe in September 2024. Show notes are available at www.actualastronomy.com

    #445 - Listener Emails

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2024 36:37


    Chris and Shane respond to a bunch of listener emails.

    #444 - Focusing on Perseus

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2024 53:33


    Perseus has many diverse objects to observe. Chris and Shane talk about the various objects to add to your observing list. Details can be found at www.actualastronomy.com

    #443 - Listener Emails

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 27:36


    Chris and Shane respond to multiple listener emails. 

    #442 - Observer's Calendar for August 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 25:14


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to add to your observing list. Show notes available at www.actualastronomy.com

    #441 - Observing in Grasslands National Park

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 46:37


    Chris shares his observing reports from his trip Grasslands National Park West Block. 

    #440 - Resources For Astronomy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 47:12


    Chris and Shane share their favourite resources that make observing g sessions successful. 

    #439 - Changes to the Podcast and Listener Emails

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 52:31


    Chris and Shane announce a big change to the podcast and discuss come listener emails. 

    #438 - Observer's Calendar for July 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 28:00


    Chris and Shane discuss interesting things to observe in July 2024, including a comet that might become visible with the naked eye in September/October. Show notes available at www.actualastronomy.com

    Claim The Actual Astronomy Podcast

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel