Idaho Skies Transcript for January 13 - 19

^{RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the third week of January. We’re your hosts, Rachel…}

^{PAUL
…and Paul.}

^{RACHEL
The Idaho Falls Astronomical Society meets on the 15th at 7 PM.}

^{PAUL
The club meets at Skyline Activity Center in Idaho Falls, 1575 N. Skyline Dr.}

^{RACHEL
Closer to Boise, you can learn about some of the wonders of the universe at the Faulkner planetarium in Twin Falls.}

^{PAUL
This Saturday, the planetarium will dazzle you with their show, the greatest sights in the universe. The show begins at 4 PM.}

^{RACHEL
On the 18th, the moon reaches first quarter.}

^{PAUL
Take the opportunity to observe its many craters and mountains with binoculars or a telescope.}

^{RACHEL
The largest craters you can see are over 120 miles across.}

^{PAUL
Most lunar craters formed between 4.1 to 3.8 billion years ago.}

^{RACHEL
Astronomers refer to this time as the late heavy bombardment.}

^{PAUL
Some astronomers believe that the gravity of Jupiter and Saturn caused them to change their positions within the solar system.}

^{RACHEL
As a result, the planets’ gravity caused asteroids to deviate from their orbits.}

^{PAUL
This placed some asteroids on new orbits intersecting Earth and the moon. The result was a large increase in the number of large meteoroids impacting the planets in the inner solar system.}

^{RACHEL
If these astronomers are correct, many of the large craters you see on the moon where from a time where environmental conditions were extreme on Earth and the moon.}

^{PAUL
The name given to this geologic era on Earth is the Hadean, so named because conditions on Earth remind geologists of the Greek underworld, Hades.}

^{RACHEL
It’s believed that the impacts of large asteroids were so frequent that Earth was sterilized of life on an average of once every one hundred years.}

^{PAUL
Since then, the solar system has been more peaceful and large impacts have become far less frequent.
    
RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the third week of January. Next week you can compare the moon’s and Jupiter’s real sizes with binoculars.}

^{PAUL
Follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.}

^{RACHEL
Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies.blogspot.com.}

^{For Idaho Skies this is Rachel…}

^{PAUL
and Paul.}

^{Idaho Skies is a production of NearSys and Radio Boise 89.9 FM Caldwell/Boise and 93.5 FM downtown, K228EK Garden City.}

^{RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.}