diff --git a/plio/date/astrodate.py b/plio/date/astrodate.py
index 69a03867b9a4808df761e84aaccbacaee8f34d4a..9c75fb9962fe1bb8c36a80a0d9b73e19880c88d6 100644
--- a/plio/date/astrodate.py
+++ b/plio/date/astrodate.py
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ def AstroDate(datespec=None):
             #it's Julian, one way or another
             return JulianDate(datespec)
         elif dstring[0].isalpha():
-            raise ValueError, "Invalid system specification: must be B, J, JD, or MJD"
+            raise ValueError("Invalid system specification: must be B, J, JD, or MJD")
         else: #it must be a numeric string: assume Julian
             return JulianDate(datespec)
 
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ class JulianDate:
                     self.mjd=self.jd+MJD_0
                     self.year=jd2jyear(self.jd)
             else:
-                print "help, we are confused"
+                print("help, we are confused")
 
         else: #it's a number
             if datespec < 10000: