Podcasts about Canis Major

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

This month Beth and Leon guide you through the February night sky.From the continuation of the Planet Parade including the new addition of Mercury, to the Constellation of the Month, Canis Major aka Big Dog and a deep dive look at the star Sirius.

Winter is in full swing, and despite that February is often the coldest month of the year, it's the shortest and there's lots of great object to explore.  In this episode, we'll explore the planets and how to see them and an update on Comet ATLAS.  We'll look at several space mission updates, explore a large crater on the moon and then explore some of the best objects that can be seen in Canis Major.  It's going to be a LOT of fun! If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, comment, and share, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Carpe Noctem!Links:Feel free to buy us a cup of coffee or two! We really appreciate it! https://tinyurl.com/AstroGuyCoffeeOur Facebook group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/astroguypodCranford TV-35: https://www.cranfordnj.org/tv-35Clark TV-36: https://www.ourclark.com/194/Clark-News---Our-Clark-MediaThe February 2025 Episode Guide: https://tinyurl.com/AGFeb25 The Full Episode Guide of DSO's sorted by Catalog Name: http://tinyurl.com/AGFullGuideOur “Astronomy Basics” episode: https://youtu.be/MtUkLVneNYsWilliam Herschel Episode: https://youtu.be/1sCFTQf03Wk?si=dpCUG_4WHUU2DSN4Mars Occultation Live Stream January 13, 2025: https://tinyurl.com/MarsJan13OccLinks: Affiliate LinksHigh Point Scientific: https://www.highpointscientific.com/?rfsn=7714880.bb6129Amazon: https://amzn.to/4gFQmOGCredits Videos:Blue OriginNASA Space FlightAmy Brown Images:Wayne ZuhlNGC 2359 & NGC 2362 images Copyright Adam Block/Mount Lemmon  SkyCenter/University of ArizonaComet ATLAS image Caroline JonesFireflySpace.comHakutoR by ArtvillPUNCH by punch.space.swri.eduNASA/LRONGC 2204 by Donald PelletierNGC2360 images by Roberto Mura Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Sky simulations were made using Stellarium Music Credits:Phase Shift by Scott Buckley Last And First Light by Scott Buckleywww.scottbuckley.com.auDistant Sky by Keys of Moonsoundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  0:00 Intro0:32 Planetary Roundup8:05 Comet Update8:27 Space Mission Updates 10:40 Lunar Feature of the Month12:47 DSO's21:16 Conclusion

Laelaps, Europa's yellow dog, has forgotten what love is, until Procris enters his life. His devotion to her will lead him to some unexpected places in this heartbreaking tale of loyalty and treachery. Written and directed by Bibi Jacob.  Sound and production by Geoff Chong. Narrated by Sandy Bernard. Featuring Rufo Quintavalle as Minos and Zelda Rittner as Procris. And also featuring the lovely dogs, Luna and Gus. With huge thanks to their mistresses, Sandy and Gaëlle. Check out the substack Stelliferous for more on the constellations.

Britain is supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, especially when it comes to pet dogs. According to the PDSA, 29% of UK adults own a dog, which gives an estimated population of 10.6 million pet dogs. While 29% isn't a majority, the number of pet dogs in the country has increased over the last few years. So it seems only fair to see how this popular animal appears in folklore. After all, I've already covered their eternal nemesis, the cat! In folklore, they sometimes appear as death omens—dogs persistently howling meant death was imminent. And they also appear in mythology, with Cerberus the three-headed dog guarding the Greek Underworld, and Anubis, the jackal-headed god presiding over the weighing of the heart ceremony in ancient Egypt. Let's not forget Sirius, in the Canis Major constellation, literally known as the dog star. They take the form of spectral hounds, loyal companions, witches' familiars, and even give their name to a hangover cure. So let's explore the folklore of dogs in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/dogs-in-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

[Series Finale] The crew of the U.S.S. Canis Major play matchmaker to two endangered space snails --- Cinematic Epic Emotional | EGLAIR by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US #StarTrek #StarTrekAdventures #TTRPG

The Lion's Gate Portal is a powerful and sacred astrological event that occurs every year on August 8th (8/8). The Lion's Gate Portal is a cosmic alignment that takes place when the Earth, Sun, and Sirius (the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major) form a harmonic triangle. This alignment is believed to create a portal or gateway that allows for: Higher dimensional energies to flow in DNA activations and upgrades Spiritual growth and awakening Increased intuition and psychic abilities Connection to ancient wisdom and knowledge This portal is associated with the energy of the lion, symbolizing courage, strength, and inner power. It's a time for personal growth, transformation, and embracing one's true potential. During this period, many people report feeling intense energies, heightened sensitivity, and a deeper connection to the universe. Some even experience vivid dreams, visions, or spiritual downloads. The Lion's Gate Portal is a wonderful opportunity for spiritual growth, self-reflection, and renewal.

The crew of the U.S.S. Canis Major go inside a Space Whale --- Cinematic Epic Emotional | EGLAIR by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US #StarTrek #StarTrekAdventures #TTRPG

Unlocking Opportunities in Cannabis: Compliance and Market Dynamics with David Zelinger, Partner at Canis Major PartnersDavid Zelinger, the founder and Managing Partner of Canis Major Partners (CMP), brings nearly 20 years of experience in global investment banking and fintech. He began his career managing credit derivatives and global USD swap trading, then transitioned to fintech in 2012, taking on leadership roles at various startups and multinational firms, where he drove significant growth and innovation.In 2020, David founded Canis Major Partners, focusing on delivering innovative cannabis products and services in New York and beyond. CMP is well-positioned to meet the needs of the diverse and energetic New York City market. Under David's leadership, CMP has rapidly expanded, leveraging unique relationships and technology platforms to stay ahead of market trends.David's vision for CMP includes launching a range of brands, from luxury cannabis products to unique offerings like Cannastrology, Brooklyn Bud Company, and Get Chai Gummies. CMP's innovative Tap4Token platform ensures product authenticity and enhances customer engagement. By centralizing brand relationships and maintaining full ownership of client data, CMP can offer customized and high-quality cannabis experiences to New Yorkers.David is dedicated to building the relationships and infrastructure needed to support a diverse portfolio of brands and products in the fast-growing NY adult-use cannabis market. He lives in Long Beach, NY, and is the proud father of three.@vaporbar.nyc@klikpass@citytreesofficialhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/davidzelinger/

T/W: Viral Outbreak, Intense Medical Drama The crew of the U.S.S. Canis Major travel to Cerberus IV to deal with an outbreak of Tarkanian Plague, only to find out there's something sinister afoot... (Part Two) Note: There was an interruption in my internet connection around the 58 minute mark. Thankfully, not much was lost in the time it took to reconnect. --- Cinematic Epic Emotional | EGLAIR by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US #StarTrek #StarTrekAdventures #TTRPG

In order to understand In Search Of… The Dark Star, Jeb and Blake will first need to get Sirius; Sirius-B, that is!   Links from this episode:   Siris (A part of the Canis Major constellation)    Jeb discussed a couple of evocative artworks:  Appeal to the Great Spirit (Dallin) End of the Trail (Fraser)    North African musket (Moukahla) Colonial Williamsburg Hoop Rolling Jacquard Loom Punched Cards technology The Hans Guggenheim art project Isaac Koi UFO archives The Tribal Eye BBC documentary series (YouTube)   Regarding Temple, Puhairich, Young, and The Nine The Sirius Mystery by Robert Temple Editorial letter about Temple from The Observatory Dogon Shame by Phillip Coppens Griaule's Legacy: Rethinking "la parole claire" in Dogon Studies Pop Culture References (affiliate links): Conjure Wife - aka Burn Witch Burn Bewitched Bell, Book and Candle ===== Images: The "orbit" of the Dogon dark star. Nimoy posing with a tribal mask - our initial NFA image. Later we get to see his legs in this seated NFA supplementary: Hans Guggenheim initially appears in just a vest and pants. Later, he too is in more of a Safari look, and has a professorial pipe as well.   Dr Gary Chapman, Astronomer The man who first photographed Sirius B - Dr Lindenblad A little of the FORTRAN code that powers the orbit animation in the episode:   We don't have enough information to know who made Nimoy's safari clothing, but if you want to try and track down a very close approximation, this example from J. Peterman's (est 1987) is as close a match as I've seen. You would still need to find it in a vintage shop because at present they don't sell these.    

T/W: Viral Outbreak, Intense Medical Drama The crew of the U.S.S. Canis Major travel to Cerberus IV to deal with an outbreak of Tarkanian Plague, only to find out there's something sinister afoot... (Part One) --- Cinematic Epic Emotional | EGLAIR by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US #StarTrek #StarTrekAdventures #TTRP

The crew of the U.S.S. Canis Major tackle the Star Trek Adventures 2E Quickstart Adventure! --- Cinematic Epic Emotional | EGLAIR by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US #StarTrek #StarTrekAdventures #TTRP

Ki'Shara Ninki. She's that special kind of researcher/writer/explorer/archeologist/occult theologian that ruins your family meal by passing around laminated charts of your bloodline and tracing your ancestry back to metaphysically enabled lizards from Mars.She's invited to Greg's seders any time she wants.On this non-stop mind- blowing marathon of a conversation, Ki'Shara shares things you've never heard before on other paranormal/UFO shows, but does one thing a lot of guests can't: supports all her claims with EVIDENCE.That's right: Ki'Shara has the stuff to fill in the gaps of Michael Cremo, Graham Hancock, Erich von Däniken, and Flint Dibble's fashion choices.In this episode, you'll learn about the mysterious connections between humanity and the celestial genealogies that stretch across the cosmos—discover how our very existence may be intertwined with the stars!You'll rediscover Ancient Wisdom, diving deep into forgotten societies and the esoteric knowledge of the ancients, including powerful Sumerian deities and lost narratives that have shaped human spirituality and history.You'll even tap into the Psychic Realms, discovering how ancient insights align with modern psychic training to unlock profound psychic abilities you never knew you had!And finally, brace for impact as Ki'Shara and Greg delve into explosive revelations from previously classified documents. Learn about the covert operations and hidden truths that have influenced major historical events!I mean, it's not any weirder than a dude parting the Red Sea if you really, really think about it.......Come, think with us. Oh, and Happy Passover. It's Open Loops. Ki'Shara's Links: https://www.afsresearch.org/ Let Greg know how you like the show. Write your review, soliloquy, Haiku or whatever twisted thoughts you want to share at https://ratethispodcast.com/openloops

The U.S.S. Canis Major investigates a sudden explosion of Kironide in an Asteroid Field. What they find is not what they expected... (Part Two) --- Cinematic Epic Emotional | EGLAIR by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US #StarTrek #StarTrekAdventures #TTRPG

The U.S.S. Canis Major investigates a sudden explosion of Kironide in an Asteroid Field. What they find is not what they expected... (Part One) --- Cinematic Epic Emotional | EGLAIR by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US #StarTrek #StarTrekAdventures #TTRPG

[Series Premiere] The U.S.S. Canis Major is an advanced hospital ship patterned after the Archer-class in the year 2270. Her crew is untested, yet eager to provide whatever medical aid they can to those in need. --- Cinematic Epic Emotional | EGLAIR by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US #StarTrek #StarTrekAdventures #TTRPG

In this week's episode we discuss the gnostic and occult themes found throughout the 90s blockbuster classic; The Truman Show. In the 25 years since the film's theatrical release, The Truman Show has continued to draw new interest and inspired numerous fans to dig through its seemingly never ending list of clever details and hidden content. While much has been said about the film over the years we focus on the occult symbolism and religious motifs which make the Truman Show perhaps the best gnostic themed film ever made. We begin by unraveling the etymology of character names and quickly move into the gnostic, Kabbalistic and Tarot symbolism hiding in plain sight. We discuss Adam Kadmon, The Scarlet Woman and of course The Black Iron Prison. In the extended show we go even deeper into the machinery of Truman's world and find ourselves treading Tarot paths on the Moon, exploring the Canis Major, the lunar-womb-Matrix and how Truman uses the principles of Hermetic Magick to Cross the Abyss, confront God himself and complete The Great Work. Fair warning: we go pretty heavy on the Gnostic, Tarot and Kabbalistic symbolism in this episode. We highly suggest listening to our previous episode if you'd like a crash course on gnosticism, our WTF is Kabbalah episode for that and googling a diagram of the Tree of Life may be helpful in one or two instances. Thank you and enjoy the show!Image of The Kabbalistic Tree of LifeAbout GnosticismWTF is Kabbalah? In this free section of the show we discuss:Is the Truman Show Gnostic?Truman Burbank's Name EtymologyThe Sun of Tiphareth Nike, Goddess of VictoryGnostic EveSabaothKristoff, The DemiurgeThe Moon MatrixMarlon, The ChariotIn the extended version of the show available at www.patreon.com/TheWholeRabbit we go further down the rabbit hole and discuss:The Moon and the Path of QophThe UnconsciousThe Path of GimelThe Beast 666Sirius, Canis MajorSopdet Anubis and WepwawetTruman Does Ceremonial Magick?The Risen ChristEpsissimusEgyptian Deity QuebesenefPsalms 139Choronzon, Dweller of the Abyss Each host is responsible for writing and creating the content they present. In the notes: red sections are written by Luke Madrid, green sections by Malachor 5, purple written by Heka Astra and blue by Mari Sama…Where to find The Whole Rabbit:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0AnJZhmPzaby04afmEWOAVInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_whole_rabbitTwitter: https://twitter.com/1WholeRabbitMusic By Spirit Travel Plaza: https://open.spotify.com/artist/30dW3WB1sYofnow7y3V0YoSources:Hidden Easter Eggshttps://www.demilked.com/hidden-details-in-the-truman-show/Tarot: The Moon attributionshttps://www.webofqabalah.com/id54.htmlSupport the show

The celestial unicorn isn't much to look at. Monoceros fills a void between the bright constellations Orion, Gemini, and Canis Major and Canis Minor. Yet you need dark skies to see even a smattering of stars in that region. And none of them represents the horn of the unicorn. But there is an object that resembles a horn right about where the horn should be. It's faint, though, so it shows up only in long-exposure photographs. The Cone Nebula is at the edge of NGC 2264, a complex of young stars and giant, billowing clouds of gas and dust. Ultraviolet energy from the young stars sets the hydrogen gas in the clouds aglow. That makes much of the region shine reddish pink. But the complex also includes clouds of colder gas and dust. Those clouds form dark streamers and blobs against the colorful background. The Cone Nebula is the most prominent, with its narrow end pointing toward the center of NGC 2264. The nebula spans about seven light-years. That's almost twice the distance from the Sun to its closest neighbor stars. A hot, bright young star close to the Cone is ripping away material from its top. Yet the gas and dust deep inside the cone may remain dense and cold enough to give birth to new stars. If it does, then one day the energy from these stars will erode the cone from the inside — stripping away the unicorn's faint “horn.” We'll talk about another nebula in the unicorn tomorrow. Script by Damond Benningfield

Haze Radio Spotlight with David - Canis Major Partners

Haze Radio Spotlight with David - Canis Major Partners

The Big Dog trots across the southern sky on December nights. It's easy to spot because it's home to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Sirius rises in the southeast in mid-evening, with the rest of the constellation below it and to the sides. Sirius really is a fairly bright star. But it's a mere firefly compared to some of the other stars of Canis Major. One example stands close to the right or upper right of Sirius during the evening. Mirzam looks much fainter than Sirius, but that's a bit of a trick. The star is really thousands of times brighter. But it's also much farther — about 500 light-years, versus less than nine light-years for Sirius. That means that Mirzam is quite a stunner. When you add up all forms of energy, it's thousands of times brighter than Sirius, and tens of thousands of times brighter than the Sun. The key to its brightness is the star's mass. It's so heavy that its gravity squeezes its core tightly. That's like mashing your foot down on your car's accelerator — it revs up the reactions in the star's core. As a result, the core produces much more energy. But also like a gas-powered car, mashing down the pedal uses up the fuel much more quickly. So Mirzam will live about one-tenth of one percent as long as the Sun will. When its time is up, it'll explode as a supernova — a brilliant ending for a brilliant star. We'll talk about an impressive star in the Little Dog tomorrow.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

The brightest star in all the night sky is clawing its way into prime-time viewing. Sirius is low in the southeast by 10 p.m., and high in the south after midnight. It's the brightest star of the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog, so it's also known as the Dog Star. Like all the stars that twinkle in the night, Sirius's brightness is a combination of two factors: its true brightness and its distance. In fact, Sirius really is a bright star — about 25 times brighter than the Sun. That's because it's about twice as massive as the Sun. It “burns” the nuclear fuel in its core in a hurry, so it produces lots of radiation. That energy pushes outward on the surrounding layers of gas, making Sirius bigger than the Sun. It also heats the gas to higher temperatures, so any given area on Sirius radiates more energy into space than the same-size area on the Sun. The combination of the size and surface temperature makes Sirius a real shiner. The other reason Sirius shines so brightly in our sky is its distance — just 8.6 light-years away. That makes it the fifth-closest star system to the Sun. And it's moving even closer, so it'll remain the brightest star in the night sky for tens of thousands of years to come. Keep an eye on Sirius tonight and throughout the winter — a close and shiny neighbor climbing high across the southern sky. We'll talk about an even brighter star in the Big Dog tomorrow. Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

Moon Phases: November 5 - the Last Quarter Moon is Sunday, good time for evening skygazing. November 7 - The Moon is at apogee, when it is furthest from the Earth November 13 - New Moon, good time for skygazing the entire night. November 14 - The very thin ‘day old' moon is near Mercury in the west just after sunset. A genuine challenge to catch this. November 20 - First Quarter Moon, great binocular moon gazing time, with Saturn nearby. November 22 - The Moon is at perigee, when it is closest from the Earth. November 25 - Jupiter is only 2 degrees away from the waxing moon. November 27 - Full Moon. Evening Sky: Saturn is nice and high in evening skies and always a joy to observe in the north. On 23 November, Saturn casts its deepest shadow over its rings …. well worth a look, or a photo. Jupiter is bright all night long all the month, and on November 2 - Opposition of Jupiter, Mercury returns to evening skies from mid-month onwards, and easily visible in the west towards the end of the month. Morning Sky: Venus is high and highly visible, and on the 10th, just 4 degrees from the crescent moon. As the month progresses Venus approached the bright star Spica. Stars to watch out for: Scorpius begins to sink below the western horizon. Orion, Canis Major, Carina, Puppis and Vela are beginning to rise in the east, but quite visible by the end of the month, and even easier to see in December. It's a great time to also observe the Magellanic Clouds and the double stars in Tucanae, and the beautiful Tarantula Nebula. December:: Dec 22 - Earth is at Solstice Geminids Meteor Shower - combining with the New Moon, the Geminids will be very nice this year, peaking on Dec 14, but in Australia, best on the morning of Dec 15th, with a show of about 60 meteors/hour expected in Northern Australia, and about 30/hr in the south, depending on the darkness of your sky, from about 1am onwards. Expect to see some very bright ones. Ian's Tangent: Hand-held ‘pocket portable' sundials

A bedtime story that will make you sleep in 30minsA Journey to the Stars takes you to the Canis Major constellation and the Sirius star, where the cosmos will show you the importance of this star on ancient civilisations.For the full experience download the Ultrahuman apphttps://ultrahuman.onelink.me/QqSM/rr0l4xan

Guest: Rei Goffer, Tomorrow.ioUrsa Minor. Canis Major. Orion. These are all star patterns that you can detect in the night sky called constellations! No matter where you live on Earth, there are constellations that will greet you as you look up. That same principle inspired the company Tomorrow.io to create a plan to launch dozens of radar satellites to help increase coverage of life-saving weather observations around the entire globe, in the hopes that they will be able to sample every point on the planet, nearly every hour. Sounds like an immense undertaking doesn't it? Well we wanted to talk to Tomorrow.io's co-founder Rei Goffer about this ambitious plan…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Wands and Fronds has gone to the dogs! The witches are continuing the space theme and doing a brief overview of Canis Major and Canis Minor. Shannon discusses dog grass (you know, THE grass dogs eat when their tummies hurt) and Nick is covering Cerberus. To keep up with the witches, follow them on Instagram @wandsandfrondspod. They're always happy to hear from you (and take topic requests). You can also email them at wandsandfrondspod@gmail.com.

Just before she goes off air for a few weeks' break, Katie plays great new songs by artists from Narrm/Melbourne, Central Victoria, Gippsland's Snowy River region, Brisbane, Gold Coast, south-eastern... LEARN MORE The post Canis Major – Show #292 (part 2), 20 August 2023 appeared first on Miss Chatelaine.

Ever wondered why we call them the 'dog days of summer'? Imagine this: you're in the throes of the hottest, most stifling days of the season, and it all harks back to a glimmering point of light in the constellation Canis Major - the star Sirius, believed by the ancient Romans to add to the sun's heat. Join us as we unravel the celestial origins of this phrase and share how you can harness these sweltering days to reap robust benefits in the cooler seasons. We all know a dog is a man's best friend, but have you ever contemplated which breed would make your best running partner? Let us guide you through the top running breeds and explore how your location's climate plays a crucial role in this choice. As the mercury drops, we'll also ready you with safe practices for running with your furry buddies. We bring you practical tips straight from veterinarian consultations, the benefits of trail running, and much more.As we step into the sun-soaked trails, we delve into the absolute must-haves for running with your four-legged friends. From choosing the right leash to the all-important flea and tick protection, we got you covered. We also bring you an exciting roundup of fun doggy accessories and fascinating canine trivia. Finally, as a cherry on the top, we'll be whipping up some mouth-watering treats for your fur babies. We're talking five-ingredient recipes that are a cinch to make and a delight for your pup. So, leash up and tune in for a fun-filled, informative episode that's all about man's best friend.Support the showJoin the newsletter list to receive updates, special offers, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Want to become a member of Time for bRUNch+ to show your support of the show? Join here.Join the bRUNch bunch on Facebook or follow us on Instagram.

This episode is Sirius! Join us as we take a look at the constellation Canis Major and look into the myths and associations to Egypt! We talk about the Dogon tribe, Wepwawet, Sopdet and the connection to divine feminine! 

In this episode, we explore the weighty subject of humans finding ways to say goodbye to a beloved dog, and the spectrum of ways people deal with the grief of losing a beloved pet. For ages, proof of the unique bond between humans and dogs has existed in literature, song, and lore. But rarely discussed are the lengths humans will go to pay homage to their dogs after they have passed. Everyone mourns pet loss differently. From the creation of pet cemeteries to bestowing monetary gifts to cover future care, the love we feel for dogs extends beyond this earthly realm.   Bonafide Bits: In a 50 square meter plot in Ashkelon, Tel Aviv, some 1,300 dogs were individually buried between the 5th and 3rd centuries. The constellation Canis Major was named after Maira, the faithful hound of Ikarios, a winemaker of ancient Greece. Ronald Reagan famously dramatized George Graham Vest's Old Drum closing court argument. Famous women who left money to their dogs include Lauren Bacall, Joan Rivers, and Leona Helmsley.   Featured Breeds: Maltese The tiny Maltese, “Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta,” has been sitting in the lap of luxury since the Bible was a work in progress. Famous for their show-stopping, floor-length coat, Maltese are playful, charming, and adaptable toy companions. Discover more about Malteses at AKC's Maltese Breed Biography.   Yorkshire Terrier Beneath the dainty, glossy, floor-length coat of a Yorkshire Terrier beats the heart of a feisty, old-time terrier. Yorkies earned their living as ratters in mines and mills long before they became the beribboned lapdogs of Victorian ladies. The Yorkshire Terrier is a compact, toy-size terrier of no more than seven pounds whose crowning glory is a floor-length, silky coat of steel blue and a rich golden tan. Don't let the Yorkie's daintiness fool you. Tenacious, feisty, brave, and sometimes bossy, the Yorkie exhibits all the traits of a true terrier. Yorkies are long-lived and hypoallergenic (the coat is more like human hair than animal fur), and they make fine little watchdogs. This is a true “personality breed,” providing years of laughs, love, and close companionship. Discover more about Yorkshire Terriers at AKC's Yorkshire Terrier Breed Biography.   Drever The Drever is robust rather than elegant and speedy. They have a proud carriage, well-developed muscles, and an agile appearance. Affectionate, playful, and sweet, the Drever gets along well with most other breeds and is great in groups. The Drever was developed in the early twentieth century in Sweden. Hunting deer was difficult due to terrain and herd locations so hunters soon realized the benefits of using this short-legged, long-bodied dog to drive the deer over long distances and rough terrain right to them. A keen and even-tempered hound, the Drever is never aggressive, nervous, nor shy. They are content in most living situations but tend to be vocal when alerting or at play. Discover more about Drevers at AKC's Drever Breed Biography.   Pumi The Pumi (POO-mee; plural Pumik) was conceived as a compact, quick, and fearless sheepherder capable of moving flocks on the narrow roads connecting the pastures of western Hungary. At a glance, it might be hard to believe that this cuddly charmer was born to do such tough work. With his coat of corkscrew curls, circular tail, expressive ears, and distinctively whimsical look, the Pumi is all kinds of cute. But beneath the curls is a lean, deep-chested herder with a seemingly endless capacity for work and play. Discover more about Pumik at AKC's Pumi Breed Biography.   Löwchen A companion dog whose name is German for “little lion,” the Löwchen has been a popular pet among Continental Europeans for more than 500 years. The portable, non-shedding Löwchen is said to be affectionate, lively, and brave as a lion. Small dogs with enormous hearts, Löwchen (the same singular or plural) stand a bit over a foot tall at the shoulder. The coat is traditionally kept in a “lion clip,” in which most of the hindquarters and tail are clipped down close to the skin. The overall effect is that of a mini lion, with a full mane and plumed tail. The coat comes in several colors and color combinations. Beneath the coat is a dog that's strong and sturdy, but elegant and artfully balanced. Discover more about Löwchen at AKC's Löwchen Breed Biography.   Boerboel Boerboels are intimidating but discerning guardians of home and family who learned their trade while protecting remote South African homesteads from ferocious predators. They are dominant and confident, also bright and eager to learn. There's a no-frills, no-nonsense quality to this sleek-coated avenger, which might stand as high as 27 inches at the shoulder and weigh as much as you do. A broad and blocky head, powerful jaws, and thick muscles from neck to rump mark it as a descendant of the ancient “molloser” dog family, the foundation of today's mastiff-type breeds. In motion, the Boerboel just might be the most agile of all mastiff types. The imposing Boerboel is devoted to protecting the people and places he loves. This is a trainable, versatile breed, eager to spend time with their adored humans. Discover more about Boerboels at AKC's Boerboel Breed Biography.   Canaan Dog One of the AKC's oldest breeds, the Canaan Dog is the national dog of Israel. This quick, medium-sized pasture dog is docile with family and aloof with strangers. The ever-alert Canaan is a vocal and persistent guardian of flock and home. Canaan Dogs are lean, bushy-tailed dogs standing 19 to 24 inches at the shoulder. The coat is straight and harsh and comes in various colors and patterns. Erect, expressive ears and dark almond eyes convey an inquisitive expression. Canaans move at a brisk, natural trot. They are rugged, agile, and apparently tireless, making them a nice fit for hikers and runners. Canaans are clever, confident, and territorial. They will end up "owning" passive owners who haven't established themselves as the top dog in the family pack. Agility, obedience, herding trials, and sentry duty are a few outlets for their work ethic. Discover more about Canaan Dogs at AKC's Canaan Dog Breed Biography.   Cane Corso Smart, trainable, and of noble bearing, the assertive and confident Cane Corso is a peerless protector. The Corso's lineage goes back to ancient Roman times, and the breed's name roughly translates from the Latin as “bodyguard-dog.” Discover more about Cane Corsos at AKC's Cane Corso Breed Biography.   German Shepherd Dog There are many reasons why German Shepherd Dogs stand in the front rank of canine royalty, but experts say their defining attribute is character: loyalty, courage, confidence, the ability to learn commands for many tasks, and the willingness to put their life on the line in defense of loved ones. German Shepherd Dogs will be gentle family pets and steadfast guardians, but, the breed standard says, there's a “certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships.” Discover more about German Shepherd Dogs at AKC's German Shepherd Dog Breed Biography.   Akita Akitas are burly, heavy-boned spitz-type dogs of imposing stature. Standing 24 to 28 inches at the shoulder, Akitas have a dense coat that comes in several colors, including white. The head is broad and massive and is balanced in the rear by a full, curled-over tail. The erect ears and dark, shining eyes contribute to an expression of alertness, a hallmark of the breed. Akitas are quiet, fastidious dogs. Wary of strangers and often intolerant of other animals, Akitas will gladly share their silly, affectionate side with family and friends. They thrive on human companionship. The large, independent-thinking Akita is hardwired for protecting those they love. They must be well-socialized from birth with people and other dogs. Discover more about Akitas at AKC's Akita Breed Biography.   Newfoundland The massive Newfoundland is a strikingly large, powerful working dog of heavy bone and dignified bearing. The sweet-tempered Newfie is a famously good companion and has earned a reputation as a patient and watchful “nanny dog” for kids. Discover more about Newfoundlands at AKC's Newfoundland Breed Biography.   Black and Tan Coonhound Large, athletic hunters who work nights, Black and Tan Coonhounds are friendly, easygoing hounds who love company. They are snoozy by the fireside but tenacious when on the trail of the wily raccoon. The Black and Tan Coonhound is a real American original. Black and Tans have an amazingly sensitive nose, long, velvety ears, and a sweet disposition. The coal-black coat features rich tan accents, including the distinctive “pumpkin seeds” above keenly expressive eyes. These are big, strong hounds: A good-sized male can stand 27 inches at the shoulder and cover ground with effortless, eager strides. Black and Tan Coonhounds are sociable hounds. Discover more about Black and Tan Coonhounds at AKC's Black and Tan Coonhound Breed Biography.   Papillon The quick, curious Papillon is a toy dog of singular beauty and upbeat athleticism. Despite his refined appearance, the Pap is truly a “doggy dog” blessed with a hardy constitution. Papillon fanciers describe their breed as happy, alert, and friendly. A tiny dog, measuring 8 to 11 inches at the shoulder, you can still spot a Papillon a block away thanks to the large, wing-shaped ears that give the breed its name (“papillon” is French for “butterfly”). Some Paps have erect ears; in others, known as the Phalene type, the ears are down. Paps are dainty and elegant, with a plumed tail, and a long, silky coat of several color combinations, the base color being white. More robust than they look, Paps are little dogs for all seasons and reasons. They thrive in warm or cool climates, in town or country, and are eager to join the family fun. They are excellent agility dogs and are consistent winners at the sport's highest levels; less ambitious owners can train them to do all kinds of tricks. Discover more about Papillons at AKC's Papillon Breed Biography.   Havanese Havanese, the only dog breed native to Cuba, are cheerful little dogs with a spring in their step and a gleam in their big, brown eyes. These vivacious and sociable companions are becoming especially popular with American city dwellers. Discover more about Havanese at AKC's Havanese Breed Biography.   Parson Russell Terrier The Parson Russell Terrier is bold and clever, swift enough to run with horses and fearless enough to dig in and flush a fox from his lair. Independent problem-solvers, PRTs can have their own ideas on how to go about things. Discover more about Parson Russell Terriers at AKC's Parson Russell Terrier Breed Biography.   Border Collie A remarkably bright workaholic, the Border Collie is an amazing dog — maybe a bit too amazing for owners without the time, energy, or means to keep it occupied. These energetic dogs will settle down for cuddle time when the workday is done. Discover more about Border Collies at AKC's Border Collie Breed Biography.   Japanese Chin Chin are the unrivaled noblemen of Japanese breeds. They're tiny “indoorsy” companions, with an unmistakably Eastern look and bearing. The head is large, the muzzle short, and the round, dark eyes convey, as Chin fans like to say, a “look of astonishment.” The profuse mane around the neck and shoulders, the plumed tail arching over the back, and the pants or “culottes” on the hind legs project the elegant, exotic appearance so typical of Asia's royal line of laptop cuddle bugs. Discover more about Japanese Chins at AKC's Japanese Chin Breed Biography.   For more information about a specific breed visit the breed's parent club or AKC.org.   Shareables: Likely the closing argument by George Vest in the legal battle of Burden v. Hornsby solidified the truth that dogs are members of the family. Dogs are more than mere property. They're special. The law says so! Strictly speaking, a dog cannot inherit money although a trust can be established to care for it.

Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor. To see the constellations, head outside after dark around 7:00 pm and face southeast. You'll notice Canis Major's bright star Sirius located below the Orion constellation and another bright star Procyon in Canis Minor.

The brightest star in Canis Minor (the little dog) has some things in common with the brightest star in Canis Major (the big dog). This week is the anniversary of Clyde Tombaugh taking the pictures that led to the discovery of Pluto.

From here on Earth, the big dog among the stars is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. It's the leading light of Canis Major, the big dog, so it's also known as the Dog Star. And it really is a bright star — a couple of dozen times brighter than the Sun. Yet it looks so bright mainly because it's close — less than nine light-years away. In fact, if you lined up all the stars in the outline of Canis Major at the same distance, Sirius would look like a candle in a field of searchlights. The constellation is home to some truly impressive stars. And perhaps the most impressive of all is Aludra, at the tip of the dog's tail. The details are a bit blurry, because there's a wide range in measurements of the star's distance. Even so, we know that Aludra is a blue supergiant. It's more than a hundred thousand times brighter than the Sun. It's also more than 50 times wider than the Sun, and 15 to 20 times more massive. We also know that Aludra is quite young, but it's already nearing the end of its life. Because of its great mass, it “burns” through its nuclear fuel in a hurry. Within a few million years, it'll no longer be able to sustain the reactions in its core. The core will collapse to form a neutron star or a black hole, while the outer layers explode as a supernova. For a brief moment of cosmic time, that'll leave no doubt about the big dog among the stars of the big dog — Aludra will outshine them all.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

The hindquarters of the big dog face a painful future. The stars that outline his tail and back legs are destined to explode within the next few million years. Canis Major, the big dog, clears the southeastern horizon by about 9 o'clock. The brightest star in all the night sky, Sirius, is at the front of the dog. The hindquarters are outlined by a triangle of three moderately bright stars well below Sirius: Wezen at the top of the triangle, Adhara to its right or lower right, and Aludra, the faintest of the three, at the bottom. The stars are quite similar. They're all much bigger, brighter, and hotter than the Sun, and more than 10 times heavier. And they're all in about the same stage of life. They've used up the hydrogen fuel in their cores to make helium, so the fusion reactions in their cores have stopped. Now, the cores are shrinking and getting hotter, so they're about to start fusing the helium to make oxygen and carbon. As that happens, the stars will get even bigger and brighter. And all three stars likely face the same fate. Within a few million years, they'll all reach a point where they can no longer sustain any reactions. When that happens, each star's core will collapse, and its outer layers probably will explode as a supernova. Although it looks fainter than the other two, the most impressive of the three stars appears to be Aludra, at the tip of the dog's tail. More about that tomorrow.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

Caroline Herschel spent thousands of nights helping her brother William study the stars. She polished the mirrors for his telescopes, helped operate them, and recorded his observations. And when William was away, she often made her own observations of the sky. Over the years, she discovered eight comets — the big prizes for astronomers of the day. She also discovered 13 objects that are far beyond our own solar system. The first of those discoveries, made in 1783, is in view on winter nights, in Canis Major, the big dog. You need help to see it, though. Caroline's Cluster spans about 15 light-years, and it's home to several dozen stars. That's a bit surprising, because the cluster is more than two billion years old. Over that span, most clusters like this one are pulled apart by the gravity of the rest of the galaxy's stars and gas clouds. The individual stars survive, but they go their own ways. So it's rare to find clusters of this type that are so old. To find the cluster — also known as NGC 2360 — first find Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. It's in good view in the southeast by 8 o'clock. Caroline's Cluster is to the lower left of Sirius by less than the width of your fist held at arm's length. Under dark skies, binoculars reveal a smudge of light with a few individual stars — discovered by one of history's first female astronomers. More about the big dog tomorrow.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

Many cultures around the world and throughout history have staged festivals events and celebrations around this time. Here in Australia our summer holidays occur now and with Christmas and New Years Eve approaching it's a great time to spend time with family and friends. As I've been reminded by our resident observation guru Dr Ian Musgrave, this is a great time of year to see some great planetary action and some special stars and introduce younger family members to the splendour of the night sky. There's a lot to see over the next week, even with naked eyes, but if you have binoculars even better, and a telescope better still. Many households will have a pair of binoculars somewhere and I'd encourage you to go and find them, and while there is an 8 dollar adapter available from online stores that will easily attach your binocs to a tripod, a great idea is to use gaffer tape or duct tape to attach your binocs to a broom handle or your tripod. Why? Doing this reduces arm fatigue remarkably and will hold your binoculars much steadier so you can easily have a good long look at things like craters on the moon and Jupiter and its 4 Galilean moons. So what I've done here is have a look at the free Stellarium website that let's you look forward in time and see exactly what is visible in the sky from whatever your location on earth, and I've also checked out Ian's Southern Skywatch December predictions and his weekly ‘Astrobloggger' website. Both of these great sites come up first in the search engines. So on NYE 31st of December we have a 65% moon which will be quite bright but will not spoil a magnificent line of objects along the ecliptic and this time I'll sweep from west to east and see Saturn, Jupiter, Moon, the Piades, Mars, then Aldaberan, the red eye of Taurus the bull, above orange Mars and further to the right is Orion with red Betelgeuse sitting on Orion's shoulder, then to finish our tour, higher up in the East is the magnificent of Sirius, the brightest star in our skies, held firmly in the jaws of Canis Major, the Big Dog, the fastest Dog in the world. So that's it from us at Astrophiz for 2022, I hope you had a great year with us and we'll be back again in 20923 after out traditionally Australian long summer break, but with luck I'll be able to post some observation tips during our holidays. And remember, Astrophiz is free and ad-free and for observers who like the print version, Dr Ian Musgrave's Astroblog and Southern Skywatch websites are always there to let you know what to look for in the coming weeks. Till next time …. it';s a big sky up there …. keep looking up. See ya!

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Digital Foundry's John Linneman joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric for a detailed discussion about Star Ocean: The Divine Force. It's been a Canis Major's age since Square Enix did anything with Star Ocean, and the Blood God crew is ashamedly not up-to-date on the series. That's why John is here. (Also, it's because he's cool). Is the new game everything Star Ocean fans have been waiting for? Find out. Also in this episode: Don't sleep on Harvestella, it's pretty dang good Mass Effect 5 exists Mazeltov to Ash Ketchum for becoming the Galar Region champion with the aid of a Pokemon that's too horrifying to exist Nadia made friends with some crows, then accidentally pissed them off with pistachios

The brightest star in the night sky has played a key role in the calendars of many cultures. In ancient Egypt, for example, its first appearance in the dawn sky marked the beginning of a new year, and heralded the annual flooding of the Nile. And in Greece and Rome, that dawn showing ushered in the Dog Days — the most sweltering time of year. It's a phrase we still use today. When the phrase was coined, the star Sirius first climbed into view around the end of June — at the start of summer and a long run of hot, humid days. Sirius is the brightest star of the constellation Canis Major, the big dog. So it's known as the Dog Star. People associated the star with the climate, so they called that time of year the Dog Days. Thanks to an effect known as precession, though, the stars gradually shift position relative to the Sun. So now, Sirius doesn't peek into view in the dawn sky until August. From the southern states of the U.S., it's appearing right about now. It won't emerge from the Sun's glare from more northerly latitudes for another week or so. For those who can see it, it's in the east-southeast, almost directly below the line of stars that marks Orion's Belt. That shift has changed the way we think of the Dog Days. In early times, the phrase referred to a specific time of year — generally from early July to about mid-August. Today, though, it refers simply to the hottest period of the year — the Dog Days of summer.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

A University of Arizona-led team of astronomers has created a detailed, three-dimensional image of a dying hypergiant star. The team, led by UArizona researchers Ambesh Singh and Lucy Ziurys, traced the distribution, directions and velocities of a variety of molecules surrounding a red hypergiant star known as VY Canis Majoris. Their findings, which they presented on June 13 at the 240th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Pasadena, California, offer insights, at an unprecedented scale, into the processes that accompany the death of giant stars. The work was done with collaborators Robert Humphreys from the University of Minnesota and Anita Richards from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. Extreme supergiant stars known as hypergiants are very rare, with only a few known to exist in the Milky Way. Examples include Betelgeuse, the second brightest star in the constellation Orion, and NML Cygni, also known as V1489 Cygni, in the constellation Cygnus. Unlike stars with lower masses – which are more likely to puff up once they enter the red giant phase but generally retain a spherical shape – hypergiants tend to experience substantial, sporadic mass loss events that form complex, highly irregular structures composed of arcs, clumps and knots. Located about 3,009 light-years from Earth, VY Canis Majoris – or VY CMa, for short – is a pulsating variable star in the slightly southern constellation of Canis Major. Spanning anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 astronomical units (with 1 AU being the average distance between Earth and the sun) VY CMa is possibly the most massive star in the Milky Way, according to Ziurys. “Think of it as Betelgeuse on steroids,” said Ziurys, a Regents Professor with joint appointments in UArizona Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Steward Observatory, both part of the College of Science. “It is much larger, much more massive and undergoes violent mass eruptions every 200 years or so.” The team chose to study VY CMa because it is one of the best examples of these types of stars. “We are particularly interested in what hypergiant stars do at end of their lives,” said Singh, a fourth-year doctoral student in Ziurys' lab. “People used to think these massive stars simply evolve into supernovae explosions, but we are no longer sure about that.” “If that were the case, we should see many more supernovae explosions across the sky,” Ziurys added. “We now think they might quietly collapse into black holes, but we don't know which ones end their lives like that, or why that happens and how.” Previous imaging of VY CMa with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and spectroscopy showed the presence of distinct arcs and other clumps and knots, many extending thousands of AU from the central star. In Search of Details on the Deaths of Rare Giant Stars To uncover more details of the processes by which hypergiant stars end their lives, the team set out to trace certain molecules around the hypergiant and map them to preexisting images of the dust, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. “Nobody has been able to make a complete image of this star,” Ziurys said, explaining that her team set out to understand the mechanisms by which the star sheds mass, which appear to be different from those of smaller stars entering their red giant phase at the end of their lives. “You don't see this nice, symmetrical mass loss, but rather convection cells that blow through the star's photosphere like giant bullets and eject mass in different directions,” Ziurys said. “These are analogous to the coronal arcs seen in the sun, but a billion times larger.” The team used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, or ALMA, in Chile to trace a variety of molecules in material ejected from the stellar surface. While some observations are still in progress, preliminary maps of sulfur oxide, sulfur dioxide, silicon oxide, phosphorous oxide and sodium chloride were obtained. From these data, the group constructed an image of the gl...

The moon helps you identify the planets in the morning lineup. You've surely heard of Canis Major and Canis Minor. But there are two other celestial dogs: Canes Venatici. An almanac may tell you when the moon is at ascending node or descending node. SkyCaramba tells you what that means.

A faithful hunting dog is following his master into the evening twilight. They'll both disappear within a few days or weeks, then return to view this summer — in the morning sky. The master is Orion, the hunter. His constellation is one of the most beautiful of all. It's also one of the easiest to find. As twilight begins to fade, look for it low in the west, with Orion's three-star belt parallel to the horizon. Brilliant Betelgeuse is above the belt, with Rigel below it, barely in sight. Orion is trailed by Canis Major, the big dog. It's easy to pick out as well because it includes the brightest star in the night sky: Sirius, the Dog Star. It's to the left of Orion's Belt. Not surprisingly, ancient skywatchers paid a lot of attention to Sirius. And they crafted many stories about him and his constellation. In one, the dog was caught in a wild chase with a nasty fox. The fox couldn't be caught, and the dog couldn't miss his quarry. To end the never-ending race, Zeus turned both animals to stone, and placed Canis Major in the stars. In another story, Canis Major was one of Orion's hunting dogs. He's chasing Lepus, the rabbit, which is below Orion's feet. He follows Orion everywhere — including into the evening twilight every spring. Hunter and hunting dog will begin to vanish over the coming days. Both of them will be out of sight by late May. Orion will return to view in July, with Canis Major following in August. Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

WATCH this on YouTube LISTEN as a podcast on Podbean, Stitcher, or iTunes Social Media: @mrwebbpv on Twitter and Instagram @pvplanetarium on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram            Quite the exciting month for planets…if you like getting up early.  4 of the 5 visible planets are hanging out together in the mornings, with Mercury having its best apparition for the year in the evenings, along with two conjunctions of morning planets and some possible meteors.          Welcome to Observing With Webb, where a high school astronomy teacher tells you what you're looking at, why it's so cool, and what you should check out later this month…at night.    Naked-eye PLANETS Sunset – Mercury (last week or two of April) Mercury (WNW) – It sounds like this apparition of Mercury will be the best one of the year. The last two weeks of April it SHOULD be visible, but the 30th will be the best day, given Mercury will be higher in the sky than ever, and doesn't set until 9:45pm.  Just get out after sunset, look WNW, and the first point of light you'll see is Mercury.  BONUS: On the 30th, Mercury will be right next to the Pleiades.  Get out some binoculars or a low-power scope to see both of them in the same view. Throughout the night – None Morning – Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn (SE) Let's use Venus as our guidepost for the month, as it is the most visible object in the morning sky. Venus (SE) – Keep an eye out after 5am, looking SE, for the highlight of the spring and summer mornings this year, Venus. About 20˚ above the horizon and almost impossible to miss, the brightest object in the morning sky will blaze as a “morning star”. Mars (SE) – Mars starts February about 5˚ to the right of Venus, with Saturn nearby as well. Mars is considerably dimmer than Venus, so you'll have to get out there before dawn starts, when it's still dark, and look right around Venus for it.  Throughout April, Venus moves away from Mars to be about 15˚ to the right by the 30th. Saturn (SE) – Saturn begins the month in between Mars and Venus, but a little lower. By the 5th, Saturn passes Mars in its rightward march away from the cluster of planets, and is less than one degree away from Mars. Onward through the month, Saturn continues to move rightward, ending April about 17˚ degrees to the right of Mars. Jupiter (SE) ­– Jupiter is coming into its own as a morning planet this month. On April 1st, it rises after 6am, so it will be low and hard to see in twilight, and far away (25˚ to the left) from the cluster of Venus, Saturn, and Mars.  Each day from there though, it rises earlier and is higher, pretty easily visible by mid-month, when Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn are lined up and about equally spaced. Venus then closes in on Jupiter, and on April 30th, the pair are less than 1˚ apart, rise around 5am, and are easily visible.   EVENTS New Moon – 1st (darkest skies) Evening Crescents (look West after Sunset) First Quarter Moon – 9th (Visible until midnight) Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset) Full Moon – 16th (Visible all night) Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night) Last Quarter Moon – 23rd (Visible from midnight into the morning) Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)   5th – CONJUNCTION – MARS, SATURN – The first of a couple conjunctions this month, go out early in the morning after about 5am and find Venus (the brightest one). About 7˚ to the right of Venus will be both Mars and Saturn less than half a degree apart.  Them being so close should allow some good telescope opportunities, astrophotos, and a chance to see how differently colored they are, Mars being red, Saturn typically described as light caramel. 22nd – LYRID METEOR SHOWER – At only 10-20 meteors per hour, it is a minor shower, and we have a Moon washing out the fainter ones starting at 2:30am.  You'll still be able to see SOME meteors at night, but don't get too excited.  The shower is greatest on the 22nd, but you might see some on the 21st and 23rd as well.  Just remember each meteor is piece of debris left over from a comet, and we're crashing into it at over 100,000 miles per hour, which crushes the atmosphere it hits, heating it up and causing the bright flash. Some advice for watching: Find a dark location and lie down in a reclining chair or something that insulates you from the ground. Check the weather to see if the skies will be clear Adapt your eyes to the dark by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.  If you're feeling extra nerdy, do a scientific meteor count (S&T and IMO) 23rd - 27th – Close Encounter – Moon, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Saturn – The Moon joins the sunrise planet party this week!  To set the scene, each morning get out between 4:30am and 5am, and you'll be able to see Venus, with Jupiter to the left 6˚, Mars to the right 13˚, and Saturn about 13˚ further to the right.  From left to right, that's Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Saturn.  What happens over the next week or so is the Moon travels through the lineup.  On the 23rd, the Moon is 22˚ to the right of Saturn, and then move to only about 10˚ to the right on the 24th.  On the 25th, the Moon moves between and below Mars and Saturn, making a nice triangle.  Then it switches dance partners up on the 26th, moving between and below Venus and Mars.  Finally, on the 27th the Moon is closest to some planets for this trip, about 5˚ below both Venus and Jupiter.  30th – CONJUNCTION – Jupiter, Venus – Only ½˚ apart!  Get out there by 5am at the latest (they rise at 4:30am) and look ESE with a decently low horizon and find the VERY bright Venus with also bright Jupiter less than a pinky-width to the left. Get out that telescope and see both of them in the same view! 30th – Close Encounter – Mercury, Pleiades – Get out just after sunset, with a nice view of the NWN horizon.  The first light in the sky will be Mercury, in its crescent phase, with the Pleiades about 1˚ to the right.  Get your binoculars and scopes out! 30th – Partial Solar Eclipse (that you probably won't see) – Only visible in western South America and the ocean around there.  Check social media for pictures and live streams!   CONSTELLATIONS Use a sky map from www.skymaps.com to help you out. After Dinner: Leo, Orion & his winter companions – Leo will be high in the South, almost straight above you. It has a backward question mark with a right triangle to the left of the question mark. Also, take a moment to get your last glimpse Orion, Taurus, the Pleiades, Gemini, Auriga, and Canis Major off in the West. Before Bed: Big Dipper, Bootes – If you look above Leo, behind you and high in the sky, you should find the Big Dipper: seven very bright stars that form a spoon shape. Now if you take the handle of the Dipper, follow its curve to the next bright star you see, about 30˚ away, which is Arcturus. “Follow the arc to Arcturus.” That's the brightest star in Bootes, which looks like a kite. Take that same curve, and follow it about another 20˚ to “speed on to Spica”, the brightest star in Virgo, one of my favorite constellations, since it reminds me of the Dickinson Mermaid. Before Work: Lyra, Hercules, Hercules Cluster – Look pretty much straight above you, and find the brightest star up there. You'll notice a parallelogram attached to it. This is the brightest star Vega, part of the constellation Lyra, the harp. Next to that is a keystone shaped constellation called Hercules. On the right side of the keystone is a small cluster of stars known at the Hercules Cluster, which is a collection of hundreds of stars on the outskirts of our galaxy. Given how high it is in the sky right now, you might catch its faint fuzziness with your naked eye, but a set of binoculars or a small telescope will really help you see it.

A seagull with a hundred-light-year wingspan flies across the southwest on these early spring evenings. It's not far from Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. The Seagull Nebula is a complex of several giant clouds of gas and dust. One of the clouds forms the gull's wings, and a smaller one forms its head. All of the clouds are stellar nurseries. They've given birth to thousands of stars, with many more still taking shape. Some of the stars are especially massive and hot. They produce a lot of ultraviolet light, which makes the nebula glow. The radiation zaps hydrogen gas, causing it to emit red light. And the starlight reflects off grains of dust, creating patches of blue. Those massive stars are both helping and hindering the birth of more stars. In addition to radiation, the stars produce powerful winds of charged particles. They compress the gas and dust around them, causing some of the material to collapse and form new stars. At the same time, the radiation and particles blow some of the gas and dust away, preventing it from making stars. The Seagull Nebula is about 3700 light-years away. It's along the border between the constellations Canis Major, the big dog, and Monoceros, the unicorn. At nightfall, the nebula is close to the upper left of brilliant Sirius. The seagull is too faint to see with the eye alone, but it's an easy target for binoculars and small telescopes. We'll talk about another cosmic bird tomorrow.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

Spiral galaxies are a bit like snowflakes — they're all beautiful, but no two look just alike. Consider NGC 2217. It's tens of millions of light-years away, in Canis Major, the big dog. It's about the same size as our home galaxy, the Milky Way. But it looks much different — like sunlight reflecting off a silver hubcap. It consists of a big oval “bulge” of stars in the middle, with bars of stars extending off its ends. They connect with tightly wound spiral arms that enfold the center of the galaxy. More spiral arms form an almost perfect circle around those. That layout may suggest that the galaxy was hit by a smaller galaxy. As they collided, NGC 2217 was stirred up. That might have transformed its layout from something similar to the Milky Way to what we see now. The bars are feeding gas and dust into the center of the galaxy. Along the way, some of that material may give birth to new stars. And the stuff that doesn't make new stars may be funneled into the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's heart. Whatever is happening, it's molded NGC 2217 into its current form — a unique spiral galaxy — just like all the rest. Canis Major is in the southeast at nightfall. Look for its brightest star, Sirius — the brightest star in the night sky. The body of the dog extends below and to the lower right of Sirius. NGC 2217 is near one of the dog's back feet. But you need a telescope to pick it out.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

A couple of “nu” stars trot along with the Dog Star, Sirius, in Canis Major, the big dog. Both stars are actually old — they've entered one of the final stages of life. The “nu” comes from their names — Nu-2 and Nu-3 Canis Majoris. The word is n-u — the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet. Nu-2 is a single star that's the same age as the Sun — 4.6 billion years. But it's about 30 percent heavier than the Sun. The extra mass revved up the nuclear reactions in its core, so the star has puffed up to become a giant. The star has two known planets. Both are big and heavy, and not likely to harbor life. But if they have moons, it's possible they could sustain life. As Nu-2 puffed up, though, it got a lot brighter. Since both of the planets are close to the star, the extra energy could be bad news for any life there. Nu-3 consists of two stars. The main star is about three-and-a-half times the mass of the Sun. So even though it's less than 400 million years old, it's already moved into the giant phase of life. It's so big that it's 400 times brighter than the Sun, so it's visible even though it's more than 400 light-years away. Sirius is in the southeast in early evening. It's the brightest star in the night sky. Nu-2 and -3 are off to its right. They're much fainter than Sirius, so you need fairly dark skies to see them. And in case you're wondering, there's also a Nu-1, but it's so faint that you need really dark skies to see it.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

 This month we take a look at the planets and we explore the constellations Gemini and Canis Major and some of the gems that are hidden within.  Visit the AstroGuy Podcast Group on Facebook for updates, live interviews, blogs and more!  Send your episode suggestions or questions to AstroGuyPodcast@gmail.com or send it via text or Voicemail at 973-404-0380. Carpe Noctem! Sieze the Night!

Kelly here! Have you ever watched an animal training show and thought, “They're using the same techniques I do with my clients!”? Or have you tried to train your pet to perform on command during your zoom calls in an attempt save your sanity during quarantine and lockdown? Then congrats! You've seen how behavior analysis can also be applied to the animal world. In this conversation, we'll discuss some other similarities between working with humans and working with animals, in this case, dogs. Today, I meet with Laura Perkins (socially distanced via Zoom) to discuss her world of animal training, specifically dogs (though we do learn about some other critters she has had the pleasure of working with). She tells us about her history in behavior analysis, her experiences dog training in a pre- and post- pandemic world, and some of the discussions that go on in the animal training community. She also provides some cool resources and information for those interested. Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the behavior analytic principles applied during animal training and compare their implementation to working with other organisms. 2. Evaluate the similarities and differences between working with humans and working with animals. 3. Describe how professional development can look in various applications of behavior analysis outside of human performance. Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms - Same science, same principles, different organisms. - There are similarities in treating animals and treating humans such as toilet training, sibling training, shaping and reinforcement. - There are several avenues to explore in animal training: zoos, rescues, personal consultant, shows and competitions to name a few Worth: 1 Type Learning CE, 0 ethics, 0 supervision Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/ Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba Check out us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/ Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA Contact us at: info@atypicalba.com, CE@atypicalba.com Music by: www.purple-planet.com References: www.lauraperkinsanimalbehavior.com/ http://sipsofscience.com/

Do you think you know the story of the Three Kings? Listen here for the rest of the story.

I am beyond glad that summer is almost here… so glad, in fact, that I talk to myself about it in this short podcast episode. Listen as I answer questions and share by best tips for preparing for a healthy (and stress-free ) summer. Did you Know? The term “dog days of summer” refers to the time between July 3 and August 11 and refers to the star Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. Also, according to folklore, if you want to know (roughly) the temperature, listen to the number of cricket chirps in a 15-second period and add 37 to get the approximate temperature in Fahrenheit. 7 Tips for Healthy Summer 1. Eat Your Sunscreen (+ Astaxanthin Benefits) What goes into your body is at least as important as what goes ON it for sun protection. An anti-inflammatory diet low in processed foods and high in vegetables, Omega-3s and healthy fats can help prevent sun damage and increase your body’s ability to get benefits from the sun. Resources Mentioned: Article: Eat Your Sunscreen– diet and supplements for healthy summer skin Article: Astaxanthin Benefits Article: Avoid Sunburn and Tan Better with Real Food Supplement: Astaxanthin 2. Get Dirty! There is a lot of evidence that our overly sterile, sanitized and dirt free lifestyle is hurting our children’s immune systems and microbiomes. Microbes in the soil help a child’s immune system develop and also provide beneficial soil based organisms, which are potent probiotics. This summer, let the kids play outside, make mud-pies, start a garden, get dirty… and join them! Article: Why Kids (and Adults) Need Dirt 3. Make Your Own Bug Spray Most commercial bug sprays contain DEET, which can be harmful to humans and especially to aquatic life and birds. Avoid the potential problems with DEET by making your own bug spray with one of these two simple recipes. You can also make bug-repellent lotion bars and an age-old concoction called “The Vinegar of the Four Thieves” that smells terrible but keeps all the bugs away! 4. And Sunscreen Sunscreen is another commercial product that is often packed with harmful (and unnecessary) chemicals. Make your own with simple ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax, zinc oxide and raspberry oil and get the same effect without the downsides. Recipe: Homemade sunscreen or sunscreen bars 5. Beach Waves Spray for Easy Summer Hair Since unfortunately I can’t be at the beach every day during the summer, I can at least trick my hair into thinking I am. My homemade Beach Waves Texturizing Spray uses the same minerals, salts and magnesium found in ocean water that give hair such wonderful volume and waves so that you can achieve the look at home everyday. Just spritz onto damp hair, scrunch and let air-dry.