Send me a Text Message!Welcome back to The Astrocast! This week, Roo sits down to talk about the AMAZING experience we all had over the past weekend, getting to experience the Northern Lights in places you normally NEVER do! Which ended up being a majority of the Northern Hemisphere!He also takes you through an excellent method for finding a dark sky locations on short notice. This method includes using Google Earth for Desktop and Light Pollution Map.PLEASE SHARE YOUR PHOTOS of the Aurora, or any awesome Astro pics you got this week with the hashtag #TheAstrocast so I can see them all! I'll pick my favorites and post them to the Astrocast Socials, as well as the webpage, which should be up in a few weeks!If you don't have/like Social Media, feel free to email me your photos at RooAstrocast@gmail.com - I'd love to see them! Link to my photos on Facebook of the Aurora (feel free to add me/follow!)Follow The Astrocast on Facebook I thank you all so much for tuning in this week, and please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or suggestions you have! Have a great week, and clear skies! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!WELCOME BACK to the Astrocast! After taking a couple weeks to dive DEEP in to the workings of Pixinsight, we are back to our normal chat! We discuss a wide variety of topics, including the mighty Celestron SCT and Hyperstar combination, the advantages of imaging at F2, and what Roo should start thinking about before building his first home observatory!A GIANT thank you to our 2 new Patreon Subscribers, David and Keri! Thank you both so much for supporting the show. If you would like to support the podcast, join our Patreon for as low as 1 dollar a month, or if you're feeling quite generous, 5 dollars a month! Your support helps the show pay for hosting, advertising, and all the costs incurred with making a weekly podcast! Join here!Links to Images discussed in this week's episode:Sadr Region (25 minutes total integration, F2 @ 135mm)The Veil Complex (55 minutes total integration, F2 @135mm)Product Links:Ulanzi Smartphone Mount for Milky Way Season!Celestron RASA Astrograph (8 inch model)Celestron EdgeHD 8 inch SCT (for use with hypserstar)Hyperstar for EdgeHD 8Video Links:Dylan O'Donnell's Excellent Video explaining EncodersThank you so much for tuning in this week! If you have corrections from this weeks episode, please email me at RooAstrocast@gmail.com and i'll make sure to include them in next weeks episode. Also, feel free to send any questions you have my way! Clear Skies! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Welcome back to the 2nd episode in the Pixinsight series of The Astrocast! This week, Roo takes you through the processing portion of using Pixinsight! If you haven't listened to last weeks episode (episode 15) - I would highly recommend you check that out first! After finishing up last week with a stacked, linear image, we dive in to everything that remains. We will go through stretching the image, using icons to save time, installing plugins and managing repositories, Starnet 2, Graxpert, gradient removal, noise removal, star reduction, and everything in between! Grab a snack and a drink Astrofam, cause this is a BIG one! Links for this week episode: M42 and Horsehead Data (Icons are also here! I also put my completed image in this folder, if you want to check it out, using the same data provided here. It won't win any awards, but it'll show you what PI can do!)Free Trial License request from PixInsightGraXpert Download/Installer (you must install this the repository entry will work) Sites to add to your repository list in PI (I recommend you add these all at once, just copy and paste the actual website, the whole https:// and everything after, the parts you need to copy are in bold):EZ Processing Suite - https://elveteek.ch/pixinsight-updates/ez-processing-suite/Graxpert - https://www.ideviceapps.de/PixInsight/Utilities/Star Reduction - https://www.cosmicphotons.com/pi-scripts/starreduction/Add these to your repositories if you get a purchase or get a free trial of any of the RC Astro Plugins:BlurXterminator: https://www.rc-astro.com/BlurXTerminator/PixInsight/NoiseXterminator: https://www.rc-astro.com/NoiseXTerminator/PixInsight/StarXterminator: https://www.rc-astro.com/StarXTerminator/PixInsight/Become a Member of The Astrocast Family!Support the show by giving 1 dollar a month at the "Happy Dude" level! Or 5 dollars a month for added benefits! Visit our Patreon at the link above for more info! If you enjoyed this series, please let me know! Shoot me an email at the address below or reach out to me on FB or Instagram. I am always super happy to hear from listeners! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Sorry the episode is a few minutes late! I may be changing the upload time to 9pm EST on Tuesday, just because it's hard to get the edit out by 8. We'll see! In this week's episode, the first in a series, Roo starts taking you through the ins and outs of Pixinsight. What started as a simple "lets highlight the favorite features of" Pixinsight quickly devolves, right before your ears, into the very process Roo uses to process his own photos. In this first episode, we cover the costs associated with purchasing a license for PI, as well as its competitors. We also go over how to separate your lights from calibration frames, folder structure, and then importing the files into PI so you can properly use the Weighted Batch Preprocessing script. By the end of the episode, you'll have a fully stacked and an auto-stretched image. Next week, we will get into the next steps of processing. I am including a link to my Google Drive which includes some data you can use to follow along, in case you don't have your own. This is nothing fancy, just some M42 data. Truth be told, I haven't stacked it myself yet. But if it's amazing, let me know. It's from my new 135 rig. There is also a folder that includes my goto Icons for Pixinsight, though we'll go over that in more detail on next weeks episode. Request a Free Trial of PixinsightM42 and Horsehead DataLukomaticos Video for Pixinsight TutorialBecome a Member of The Astrocast Family!Join our Discord for only $1 a month, to help spread the word about the show!Thanks so much for listening, as always! Clear skies! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Astrocast Patreon - New $1/month tier to help support the show, details below! Welcome back, Astro fam! I apologize for the 2-day delay, but the PC was overheating! I took the AIO Watercooler off and the Thermal paste looked absolutely cooked, so I ordered a new tube thinking "surely that's it!", but alas, after replacing the paste, we were still at 90* C right after boot up. I ended up ordering a Noctua Air Cooler to get us back up and running, and we're good to go now! On this weeks episode, Roo takes you through a NEW hobby for Astronomy that he had heard spoken of many times before, but have never once considsered doing himself for some reason, until it finally struck him like a bolt of ionized O3 nebulosity at 3nm wavelength! We also catch up on what's new in my local night skies and discuss Galaxy Season seemingly FLYING by us! (Which i'm quite happy about!) NEBULA SEASON WILL BE HERE SOON! Forgive me if all the links for the show aren't here right away. I didn't get to do my full, massive edit I normally do on this episode due to the crash earlier this week, but I thought it was more important to get the content out to you guys ASAP. Whatever I missed i'll come back and add in as soon i'm finished listening to the episode. NEW Patreon $1/month "Happy Dude" tier! If you would like to support the show, for just 1 dollar a month to help advertise the show in new markets and bring more listeners in to the Astrocast family, please help us out by donating a buck! You'll get  access to our Patreon only live chat we'll be holding on our private discord, as well as access to future livestream sessions for instruction and just plain old fun! Go here to join, thank you SO MUCH! Please note - the 5 dollar tier includes a shoutout at the end of an Episode of the Astrocast. I believe I may have mispoken on this weeks episode, but I have to distinguish the two somehow, so thank you for understanding!  Click below to join!Astrocast Patreon"Seeing"/Astronomical forecast Apps for iOS and Android:IOS: iCSC: Clear Sky Chart Viewer Android: Good To Stargaze (also available on iOS, search for Good to Stargze in appstore)This weeks reccomendation: "Letters from an Astrophysicist" by Neil Degrass TysonMore links to come.Thanks for listening, clear skies! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!This week Roo talks Shop with you. We recap the Great American Solar Eclipse. Talk about a recent trip down the club Observatory, and even go over something STRANGE we saw in the night sky! If you would like to show your support , consider becoming a member of our Patreon! For $5 a month, you will help spread the word of The Astrocast to others, so we can grow our family, and reach new audiences all around the world! Show Links:My image of Markarians Chain from the new F2 Rig on Saturday night! (Annotated version as well!)Dark Dragons AstronomyAstronomy ToolsAstrometry.net for Plate Solving!3 Sisters AstronomyZero Gravity Chairs for Stargazing!Thanks so much for listening, and we'll be back next week with a new episode! CLEAR SKIES! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Welcome back to the ASTROCAST! In this special, EXTRA LONG episode, Roo takes you through the EXACT steps of building the ULTIMATE widefield rig! If you've ever wondered exactly what you would need to build a perfect widefield imaging rig for astrophotography, than this episode is for you!Roo takes you through exactly which pieces you need, and exactly what each piece DOES in this collection of gear to create your own ultimate Wide Field imaging rig for Astrophotography, along with every price, and what is and isn't a must have! This episode is dedicated to Ting-Ting, who was laid to rest on 4/1/24 after 19 year of being Roo's best pet friend in the world. Just 2 weeks after losing Biscuit, we unfortunately lost Ting-Ting, now we have no felines left in the Page household :( Note: This week we have a LOT of links, so rather than post them all on the episode, i've created a Google Doc which has them all. TinyURL also wasn't functioning properly, so this will be easier to download/access for you as needed:Episode 12 LinksThanks for tuning in to The Astrocast, and we'll see you next week! CLEAR SKIES, and enjoy the eclipse!!!Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Looks like this went live a little early, enjoy! No clue why it's saying 3/12, but this is indeed for today (3/26/24).Welcome BACK Astro fam! Sorry I was gone - I missed you all! Unfortunately, I was not on vacation, but rather our beloved cat Biscuit passed away. She was with me for 16 years after I found her in a bush at an office park as a tiny little kitten, where I worked at in my 20's. She will be greatly missed. I'm happy to be back though, and this week's episode is a great one! We're talking about FILTERS for one shot color cameras! We talk about where to start, what you should get, what to expect, and how much to spend. I give 3 great examples of various filters that can take on various jobs that range from DSLR Cameras to Cooled Astro Cams. If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our PATREON! For just 5 bucks a month, you can help spread the word of The Astrocast, and get a shoutout at the end of the episode! The Astrocast | Weekly Astronomy/Astrophotography Podcast | PatreonLinks from Show:DSLR Clip in filter:Astronomiks Canon CLS Clip in FilterDual Band Filters:iOptron L-Extreme F2 (Fast Lenses)iOptron L-Extreme (Regular Scopes)ZWO Duoband Filter (1.25 inch)Broadband Filter:iOptron L-PROFilter Drawers/Wheels:ZWO Filter Drawer M42ZWO 5 bay Filter Wheel (2 inch)Rokinon/Samyang Replacement Bayonet (M48)This weeks recommendation:My Favorite Universe, by Neil DeGrasse TysonThanks so much for tuning in to the show, and we'll see you again next week! CLEAR SKIES! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Welcome back to The Astrocast! We are celebrating our tenth episode this week and are so happy to have you along for the ride!!! This week, we answer a reader's question with a DEEP DIVE in to how to go about printing your Astrophotography images at home and selling them! We go over everything you'll need from top to bottom, including how much you'll need to invest, and whether or not it's a good idea for you to do this depending on your particular situation. We talk printers, frames, paper, ink, and everything in between! Join the  Astrocast Patreon, and partake in our first Astrocast Society Discord Meetup!The Astrocast | Weekly Astronomy/Astrophotography Podcast | PatreonLinks discussed in this episode:Promo Video for 10th episode (Don’t disappoint the bird!) - https://www.facebook.com/reel/398374656173601/?s=fb_shorts_tab&stack_idx=0Canon Pixma Pro 200:https://tinyurl.com/mr44tkyhMe holding A3+ size print Photo of Pleiades (follow us on FB!):FacebookCanon Super Glossy 2 A3+ Paper:https://tinyurl.com/344pehvwIlford Galerie Metallic A3+ Paper:https://tinyurl.com/mh9pu9vrThanks for joining us this week, and we'll see you next week! CLEAR SKIES!for verification purposes only: '29ucsbpj'  29ucsbpjSupport the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!*Quick note!* There was a few strange artifacts with last nights upload that I noticed - so i'm doing a quick reupload - this should resolve the issue. Thanks! Sorry for the trouble!This week on the Astrocast - we get in to a little bit of everything. The skies FINALLY clear over Charlotte, NC and Roo quickly takes advantage with a friend. We talk about a few beautiful new Refractors from William Optics, as well as what that dream trip to Bortle 1 skies in the Southern  Hemisphere would be like. Night Ryder Astro:NightRyder Astro | FacebookSkySafariPro:SkySafari 7 Pro - Apps on Google PlayThe Astrocast is now on PATREON! If you would like to support the show and become a member of the Astro Society, please feel free to give here! All proceeds will go towards spreading the word of the podcast, and bringing in more listeners!The Astrocast | Weekly Astronomy/Astrophotography Podcast | PatreonThanks for listening to Episode 9, and I apologize for the uploading being a little late this week, we had some technical difficulties!Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Welcome to Episode 8 of the Astrocast! This week, Roo will take you through, step by step, EVERYTHING you need to have and know about shooting awesome photos of the Milky Way! If you've been looking for a comprehensive guide on how to get awesome shots of the MW and just aren't sure exactly what equipment is needed or exactly what settings to use, then this episode is for you! Thank you for tuning in. Please share the podcast with a friend, follow us on social media, or shoot us a message on X or Gmail! We have a quite a few products in the show notes this week due to the nature of the episode: Smart phone mount for Tripod: - https://a.co/d/hujOaAC SmallRig Ballhead: http://tinyurl.com/2fe9y4p9Raubay tripod: https://a.co/d/c3phIvFSmallrig Tripod:http://tinyurl.com/3ycn6th2Canon Rebel T7:http://tinyurl.com/5y2kyvk2Canon R8 (full frame entry level):http://tinyurl.com/43cawvf3RF to EF Adapter: http://tinyurl.com/4jvj2pn8Rokinon 14mm F2.8 (EF Mount): http://tinyurl.com/ymmymnh7TTArtisans 11mm F2.8 (EF Mount):http://tinyurl.com/ysyu5uajTTArtisans 7.5mm F2 (EF Mount):http://tinyurl.com/ybc6brtdStellarium (Software for Framing up Pictures, free!): Stellarium Astronomy SoftwareEmail us or send us a message on Social, thanks for listening, and please leave a review or share with a friend! Clear skies! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Welcome to this weeks Astrocast! We have a VERY special episode this week, our first interview! Joining Roo to discuss Astronomy is Rick Bassham, the Director for the Gayle H. Riggsbee Observatory, that is the homebase for the Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club. CAAC is Charlotte, NC (USA)'s Amateur Astronomy Club. There are MANY like it, all over the world! Check out the Night Sky Network to find your local club:Night Sky Network (nasa.gov)We discuss what it's like to be a director of an observatory (along with things you might not think a director does!), along with many other great topics during this fantastic discussion. I hope you enjoy this episode, and we'll be back next week with another!!CAAC Website: Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club (charlotteastronomers.org)Rick and Jeffs company website -Dark Dragons Astrophotography: Home - Dark Dragons Astronomy - Remote Observatory ControlSupport the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!In this week's episode of the Astrocast, Roo discusses what it likes to go through the various seasons in Astrophotography, including why many wide-field Astrophotographers consider Spring, or "Galaxy Season", to be a bit boring! But luckily, he suggests many things you can do during this time, including images to target and processes to work on.Later in the episode, we get in to the awesome planetarium software known as STELLARIUM, and why you should check it out! We have reached our 300th unique listener, thank you all SO MUCH for sharing/listening, and if you have any friends/family members/loved ones who enjoy Astronomy, please send them a link! We are growing this podcast by word of mouth only, not a buck in advertising!Links from todays show:Stellarium : Stellarium Astronomy SoftwareMini Museum: Mini Museum Shop - Science and History Collections, Rare SpecimensSupport the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Thanks for tuning in to this weeks Astrocast! This week, Roo takes you through what it's like to join an Astronomy Club, and what to expect when you head out to your first star party. Hopefully you'll learn a few tips along the way, so you don't have to make all the same mistakes he did! The Night Sky Network:Night Sky Network (nasa.gov)Please email us! RooAstrocast@gmail.comOr on Twitter/X - @AstrocastRooSend in any questions you want answered, or show topic ideas! Thanks, and spread the word! Clear skies!Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Welcome to Episode 4 of the Astrocast! This week, Roo will cover a question that he has consistently seen asked since day one of journey in to learning astronomy, "What is a good telescope to buy for my (friend/family member/loved one) to get them in to Astronomy?"While this seems like a simple enough question, unfortunately the online marketplaces are LITTERED with garbage telescopes that no one should ever have to suffer through! If we can help ONE person avoid this terrible fate, "The Hobby Killer", than we've done our job! Apertura 8 inch Dobsonian Telescope: Apertura AD8 Dobsonian | 8” Telescope with Accessories - High Point ScientificCelestron Astrofi 130 Newtonian Telescope:Celestron Astro Fi 130mm f/5 Reflector Telescope 22203 B&H Photo (bhphotovideo.com)Turn Left at Orion:Turn Left At Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See in a Home Telescope - and How to Find Them: Consolmagno, Guy, Davis, Dan M.: 9781108457569: Amazon.com: BooksNightwatch:NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe: Dickinson, Terence, Hewitt-White, Ken, Fienberg, Richard Tresch: 9780228104391: Amazon.com: BooksApps to check out:Android/IOS - Skysafari Pro, Skymap, GoodToStargazeThanks for listening, please share with a friend to help get the word out! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Welcome to Episode 3 of the ASTROCAST! This week, Roo will take you through all of the popular editing tools for astrophotography, and give you recommendations for what works best, in his opinion. We cover everything from free to paid, and even subscriptions. The episode closes with our first edition of the RECOMMENDATION, which is a special one, since it's the first, so there's two! Thanks for tuning in to the Astrocast, and please feel free share with a friend! Find us on Facebook @TheAstrocast - clear skies! Lukomaticos awesome YouTube tutorial: https://youtu.be/UKd0pUBSZ6o?si=J8UtscPXmuWZLBJjSupport the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Welcome back to this weeks Astrocast! This week, Roo is discussing star trackers, learning new constellations, and how to go about taking astrophotography photos with only the most basic tools.  We get deep in to exactly which settings to use on the camera, to get excellent results for both Time Lapse videos and Milky Way core photography. Thanks for tuning in, please leave us a good review and share with a fellow enthusiast if you enjoy this episode! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!

Send me a Text Message!Welcome to the Astrocast! In our inaugural episode, Roo takes you through what it means to build a "beginners rig" for Astrophotography, and goes into deep detail including specific Mounts, Telescopes, and all the cameras and gadgets needed to build your first rig. Roo has been practicing Astrophotography and Astronomy for roughly 4 years now, with an interest in the stars since childhood. Living in Charlotte, NC under Bortle 6 skies, he often travels to the darker observatory in SC for "serious imaging". A professional Astrophotographer who sells prints on a regular basis, Roo is here to tell you all about Astrophotography and Astronomy, and hopefully you will learn something along the way! Support the Show.Email me at "RooAstrocast@gmail.com" with any questions/comments. Thanks for listening!