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[magic612]

"Eyes on the Sky" is all new this week - new graphics, backgrounds, music and even a modified format. This week the focus is on Auriga and the Quadrantids. Oh yes, and don't miss the cameo appearance by none other than Mr. 'Charles Messier' himself!!



Feedback on the new format welcome (good, bad, indifferent, what you'd like to see in future videos, etc.).

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

This is the coolest and sharpest yet of your vds Dave.

I laughed outloud at the Messier bit and like the new design and feel of the revamped production.

I know a lot has to go in making these and I appreciate it lots.

Jack Horkheimer would be proud!

[boozeclues]

very informative, especially to a noob like me. Thank you.

[magic612]

Joe, thanks man - they do take a lot of work, but I enjoy making them. Admittedly, I'm a little uncomfortable with the Jack Horkheimer comparisons though... those are some LARGE shoes to fill!

boozeclues - thanks for the compliment, and welcome to the Chicago Astronomer forums. Please feel free to join in some of the other conversations or ask questions - everyone here is quite helpful.

[Centaur]

Well done as usual, Dave. Don’t be modest; with your latest effort you have moved steps beyond Horkheimer and his shoes. In fact, you’ve discouraged me from reprising my YouTube astronomical videos. I only produced them occasionally as previews for special events such as eclipses, and deleted them after those events became history. But to produce them weekly I realize involves a lot of work. Even my simple webcasts with financial gurus would take up a couple of hours my time each day: www.CurtRenz.com/interviews . I’ve suspended them until the guests become associated with online advertising intermediaries. I hope you have a way of profiting. Or are you actually auditioning for a TV gig?

[Paulie pchris00]

I really liked the old vids, but this is... wow.

With us and the rest of the solar system in motion, I always enjoyed the planetary and lunar conjunctions, but the deep sky deserves time, too.

Messier is much more famous for the non-cometary objects he discovered and/or cataloged, but he discovered a few comets, too. And what's hanging off the aperture end of Messier's telescope?

[magic612]

Jan 2, 2012 18:19:23 GMT -6 Centaur said:

Well done as usual, Dave. Don’t be modest; with your latest effort you have moved steps beyond Horkheimer and his shoes. In fact, you’ve discouraged me from reprising my YouTube astronomical videos. I only produced them occasionally as previews for special events such as eclipses, and deleted them after those events became history. But to produce them weekly I realize involves a lot of work. Even my simple webcasts with financial gurus would take up a couple of hours my time each day: www.CurtRenz.com/interviews . I’ve suspended them until the guests become associated with online advertising intermediaries. I hope you have a way of profiting. Or are you actually auditioning for a TV gig?

That is incredibly kind of you to say Curt, though I'm sorry that I have discouraged you from making your own astro-videos! I always enjoy the technical, detailed information you provide here and on Cloudy Nights. And there is so much that I CAN'T cover in my videos - because YouTube attention spans aren't much longer than 4 minutes (if you're lucky!). There's a market for more than just what I do. ;D

They do take a lot of work. Preparing for this new version took a lot of time too, but part of the goal was to reduce the time I spend on each one. I did a lot of "prep" work so I can quickly add things that I will use often that took time to set up previously.

I don't have a way of profiting off of these (unless you count the little bit that I make from the ads that YT places on the vids, which ain't much!), and honestly, that's not the intent . By making a quality program, I hope to get a consistent audience and, while providing a service (info about the sky) also educate about light pollution. In every video I mention light pollution, and sites to visit to reduce it. And if people who watch it feel it is a quality program, my hope is they will share it with others so the word can get "out there" more and more.

My audience has grown, on average, by about 10% every month since I started these 12 months ago. I hit around 1900 - 2000 views for December. That's a good increase from the 400 or so views I had for Feb 2011. I take that as evidence I'm doing something right, and at some time, I expect there will be a tipping point where the audience grows exponentially. And if I can vastly increase awareness of outdoor lighting issues through something I already enjoy doing, well, I'll be a very happy guy.

And no, definitely not auditioning for a TV gig - but I'd certainly entertain the idea if someone offered.

[magic612]

Jan 3, 2012 8:03:59 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

I really liked the old vids, but this is... wow.

With us and the rest of the solar system in motion, I always enjoyed the planetary and lunar conjunctions, but the deep sky deserves time, too.

Messier is much more famous for the non-cometary objects he discovered and/or cataloged, but he discovered a few comets, too. And what's hanging off the aperture end of Messier's telescope?

Paulie, thank you as well. I figured it was time to step it up a notch - my editing skills have improved, as has some of my equipment, so it was a natural progression towards making something better.

When I did the videos monthly, I could focus mostly on planetary motions because there was enough change from beginning to end of month that doing so made sense. Having gone to weekly, there doesn't need to be that same emphasis as the updates happen every 7 days now, but I've got a pretty good outline for the next 6 months that will keep things interesting and not forgetting what I started doing either.

Yup, I know Messier discovered a few comets in his day - but I thought I'd poke a little fun at the things he found that weren't, that we so often focus on today that are referred to by his name (or at least an "M"). The scope was actually a WAY discounted brass piece of junk I found at one of the craft/hobby stores. (The brass is actually probably worth more than I paid for it.) It's got horrible optics, a ridiculously "tippy" tripod, and it has literally been kicking around my basement for the last 7 or 8 years. When my wife saw me setting it up to use for the video, she said, "Oh, you're finally going to use that!"

The thing hanging off the end is a lens cap; there's a chain connected from the tube to the cap.

[Paulie pchris00]

Jan 3, 2012 12:45:26 GMT -6 magic612 said:

The brass is actually probably worth more than I paid for it.

Some of the guys I used to work with insulating used to grab scrap metal off jobsites. They would have that at the scrapyard in a heartbeat.

Jan 3, 2012 12:45:26 GMT -6 magic612 said:

It's got horrible optics, a ridiculously "tippy" tripod, and it has literally been kicking around my basement for the last 7 or 8 years. When my wife saw me setting it up to use for the video, she said, "Oh, you're finally going to use that!"

Ha! Using it as a prop!

[magic612]

Jan 3, 2012 13:04:28 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Ha! Using it as a prop!

What's funny is how the props and costumes around here seem to have reproduced like rabbits over the past couple months! Speaking of which, I hope some of you are Monty Python fans. You'll like what I have planned for next week.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I dig Monty Python!!!

Spam spam spam and spam.

[RobbW]

Jan 3, 2012 13:08:06 GMT -6 magic612 said:

Speaking of which, I hope some of you are Monty Python fans.

If you find a way to pull the Michelangelo skit into your weekly video, I'll wet myself with laughter!

[magic612]

Jan 3, 2012 21:48:17 GMT -6 RobbW said:

Jan 3, 2012 13:08:06 GMT -6 magic612 said:

Speaking of which, I hope some of you are Monty Python fans.

If you find a way to pull the Michelangelo skit into your weekly video, I'll wet myself with laughter!

Hmmm... that one may be a bit difficult. But I have a lot of videos to make, and since I seem to have a lot of fans in the U.K., I may have to give that a try.

I'll work on it. No promises on that one though.

[Centaur]

Jan 3, 2012 22:47:31 GMT -6 magic612 said:

Jan 3, 2012 21:48:17 GMT -6 RobbW said:

If you find a way to pull the Michelangelo skit into your weekly video, I'll wet myself with laughter!

Hmmm... that one may be a bit difficult. But I have a lot of videos to make, and since I seem to have a lot of fans in the U.K., I may have to give that a try.

I'll work on it. No promises on that one though.

Well I hope you get it right, Dave, and have Leonardo painting the Last Supper rather than Michelangelo.

Or better yet, try to top this Downfall parody: www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-zgYXjBb9Y

[patrickm]

Dave! AMAZING man!

I was really happy to see the Auriga clusters on your episode. One of my favorite areas of the sky...three little jewels that are always great to show off. I remember finding them in my binos for the first time and sitting entranced for a very long time. I hope others have the same experience!

J'adore Messier! Vive la France!

[Mark Ross]

Really liked the upgrade. As a Chicago guy without a fancy scope fighting clouds, smog and massive light pollution I really appreciate some focus on individual constellations. Auriga is a fun constellation to watch even though I have yet to get a good view of the Messier objects.

[magic612]

Curt - not even going to wade into that kind of territory (the Downfall stuff). I do stupid/goofy humor; something like that takes much better comedy writing than I can do.

Patricks - thanks dude! I'll be highlighting other constellations and cool things to see in the sky besides just planets in the future. Auriga was a great one to highlight right now because it is high overhead for most people in the evening, so Capella is a standout object most anywhere - even light polluted areas. Makes a good place to star-hop to the Messiers nearby too.

Mross - thank you also! Give those M objects a shot when you get a chance; they're good open clusters to view. You don't need a fancy scope to do good astronomy either - plenty to see even with small ones!