Actual Astronomy - Messier Objects For July 2026

Actual Astronomy - Messier Objects For July 2026

Hosted by Chris Beckett & Shane Ludtke, two amateur astronomers in Saskatchewan who enjoy teaching astronomy classes and showing the public views through their telescopes. actualastronomy@gmail.com [http://actualastronomy@gmail.com] Description: This month we talk about some of the globular clusters from the Messier catalogue you can easily see on summer nights. From big and bright M5 and M4 to small and mighty M80 we talk about viewing some of the best globular clusters of the year. We also talk about a large, faint face on spiral galaxy. All of these objects are possible with binoculars, most are down right easy even with small binoculars. M3 This globular cluster in Canes Venatici is one of the brightest objects in the sky. In binoculars this object is definitely not star like, but more of a bright, small snowball easy to see. Small telescopes will begin to resolve M3 into individual stars. The hardest part of this object is locating it in a portion of sky that contains few bright landmarks. M53 Another globular cluster in Canes Venatici. While not quite as big or bright as M3 it is still an obvious binocular object. Resolvable in small telescopes, it as easy object to find sharing the same low power telescope field as fifth magnitude Alpha Coma Berenices. M5 A big, bright globular cluster located in Serpens Caput. M5 is as nice as M3 but lies near a fifth magnitude naked eye star (5 Serpentis) making it an easy object to find. M68 An eighth magnitude globular cluster in Hydra, M68 is a difficult binocular object for Northern observers. It appears as a faint fuzz spot in binoculars, you may need to use averted vision or large binoculars to find this one. Appearing as a round fuzzy patch in a 8" telescope, you will need a much larger aperature to really resolve it. M83 A face on spiral in Hydra. M83 is fairly easy in binoculars as a faint, fuzzy patch of light. In a telescope look for a large patch of light with a bright center. M4 A big bright globular in Scorpius, easily located near Antares. This is an easy binocular object appearing as a round snowball. Partially resolvable in a telescope, the trade mark of this globular is a line of bright stars crossing the center. M80 This is the smallest and faintest globular cluster this month. Located in Scopius, M80 is a very tough binocular object appearing as a faint star with slight fuzziness around the edges. This is confirmed with a telescope, M80 has a bright central condensation in the middle of faint fuzz. It is one of the Messier objects that even through a medium telescope still looks like a comet. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy [https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy] and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too! Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop [http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop] for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate] This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate]!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu [http://www.psi.edu] Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org [http://365DaysOfAstronomy.org/] or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org [info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org].

Guide To Space - Where Are All The Alien Robots? The Chilling Idea Of Von Neumann Probes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHMIv_zAbrM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHMIv_zAbrM] From Oct 6, 2016. Hosted by Fraser Cain. As you know, I'm obsessed about the Fermi Paradox. Where are all the aliens? But an even stranger question is: where are all the robot aliens? If you've seen at least one other episode of the Guide to Space, you know I'm obsessed about the Fermi Paradox. This idea that the Universe is big and old, and should be teeming with life. And yet, we have no evidence that it exists out there. We wonder, where are all the aliens? PBS Space Time Von Neumann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H55wybU3rI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H55wybU3rI] We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy [https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy] and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too! Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop [http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop] for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate] This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate]!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu [http://www.psi.edu] Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org [http://365DaysOfAstronomy.org/] or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org [info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org].

Ask A Spaceman Ep. 276: What Would Happen if the Sun…Stopped?

Solar Apocalypse! Hosted by Dr. Paul M. Sutter. What really keeps the Sun shining? How long would it stay warm if fusion stopped? How long would it take before we noticed? I discuss these questions and more in today's Ask a Spaceman! Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter [http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter] All episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com [http://www.AskASpaceman.com] Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PaulMSutter [http://www.youtube.com/PaulMSutter] Read a book: https://www.pmsutter.com/books [https://www.pmsutter.com/books] Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE! Big thanks to my top Patreon supporters this month: Justin G, Chris L, Alberto M, Duncan M, Corey D, Michael P, Naila, Sam R, Joshua, Scott M, Rob H, Scott M, Louis M, John W, Alexis, Gilbert M, Rob W, Jessica M, Jules R, Jim L, David S, Scott R, Heather, Mike S, Pete H, Steve S, Lisa R, Kevin B, Aileen G, Deb A, Michael J, Phillip L, Steven B, Mark R, Alan B, Craig B, Richard K, Joe R, David P, Justin, Tracy F, Thomas K, James C, Syamkumar M, Homer V, Mark D, Bruce A, Tim Z, Linda C, The Tired Jedi, Bob C, Stephen A, James R, Allen E, Michael S, Sheryl, David W, Chris, Michael S, Erlend A, James D, Karl W, Den K, Edward K, Scott K, Vivek D, M0PPET, Brad, Azra K, Steve R, M D Malahy, Brian O, Alonna M, Joseph B, and Anders J! We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy [https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy] and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too! Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop [http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop] for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate] This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate]!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu [http://www.psi.edu] Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org [http://365DaysOfAstronomy.org/] or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org [info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org].

Astronomy Cast Ep. 58: Inflation

http://www.astronomycast.com/archive/ [http://www.astronomycast.com/archive/] From October 15, 2007. Hosted by: Fraser Cain (@frasercain [https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain]) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (@CosmoQuest [https://www.youtube.com/@CosmoQuest]) We interrupt this tour through the solar system to bring you a special show to deal with one of our most complicated subjects: the big bang. Specifically, how it's possible that the universe could have expanded faster than the speed of light. The theory is called the inflationary theory, and the evidence is mounting to support it. Einstein said that nothing can move faster than the speed of light, and yet astronomers think the universe expanded from a microscopic spec to become larger than the solar system, in a fraction of a second. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy [https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy] and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too! Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop [http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop] for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate] This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate]!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu [http://www.psi.edu] Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org [http://365DaysOfAstronomy.org/] or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org [info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org].

Travelers in the Night Eps. 899 & 900: Hitch Hiking an Asteroid to Mars & Earth Life From Mars

Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( @Nmcanopus [https://twitter.com/Nmcanopus] ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. travelersinthenight.org [http://travelersinthenight.org] From May 2026. Today's 2 topics: - Asteroids could provide a solution for the serious problem of how to protect astronauts from harmful solar and cosmic radiation during long duration space flights and thus eliminate the need for the spacecraft itself to have heavy shielding material. The idea is for the spacecraft to spend most of the journey inside the asteroid. - Some of the 635,000 impact craters found on Mars are the result of such violent impacts that pieces of Mars are ejected, travel around the solar system, and a few become one of the several hundred Martian meteorites which have been discovered here on Earth. An experiment is described which does not prove we are descendants of martian bacteria however it does improve our ability to protect our planet and understand where life may be possible elsewhere in the Universe. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy [https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy] and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too! Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop [http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop] for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate] This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click [http://cosmoquest.org/Donate]!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu [http://www.psi.edu] Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org [http://365DaysOfAstronomy.org/] or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org [info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org].