PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the fourth week of May. We’re your hosts, Paul…
RACHEL
…and Rachel.
PAUL
May 20th is the 25th anniversary of the launch of Pioneer Venus 1. After entering orbit, it spent a decade exploring Venus.
RACHEL
It used a simple radar system to map the planet’s surface.
PAUL
Thick opaque clouds cover Venus and radar is the only way to penetrate this layer of sulfuric acid clouds.
RACHEL
Spica is the bright star to left of moon on the evening of the 21st.
PAUL
The separation between them is 3½ degrees; therefore, they will both comfortably fit within your binoculars at the same time.
RACHEL
Even though they appear close together, their distance apart in three dimensions is immense.
PAUL
That’s right. It takes light only 1½ seconds to travel the distance between us and the moon. Spica on the other hand requires a trip of 263 years.
RACHEL
On the 22nd, the moon is your guide to Saturn.
PAUL
The ringed planet will appear to the upper left of the moon late that evening.
RACHEL
While the moon is a spectacular binocular and telescope object, Saturn requires a telescope.
PAUL
However, even a small telescope at low power is enough to show the planet’s ring system and largest satellite, Titan.
RACHEL
Another planetary event is taking place on the other side of the sky.
PAUL
For the next week, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury are approaching one another.
RACHEL
They’re close to the west-northwestern horizon. So you’ll need to look around 9:30 PM. If you find them, all three will fit within your binoculars at the same time.
PAUL
And their configuration will get more tightly grouped over the next four days.
RACHEL
Five years ago on the 25th, the Phoenix lander arrived on Mars.
PAUL
The mission of the Phoenix lander was to explore the role and history of water on the Martian surface.
RACHEL
Its landing site was located in the arctic region of Mars where scientists believed water would accumulate as ice.
PAUL
A camera on the lander showed that its landing engines blew loose dust off of a layer of ice buried just beneath the Martian soil.
RACHEL
What appears to be water drops, were seen clinging to the landing legs before they eventually sublimated away.
PAUL
No one expected to see drops of liquid water on Mars, as its atmospheric pressure is far too low for water to exist in the liquid phase.
RACHEL
One reason that water might be able to exist for a short time as a liquid is that the Martian artic soil contains a perchlorate salt.
PAUL
Perchlorate can act as antifreeze and that makes liquid water a little more stable in extreme conditions.
RACHEL
Signs gathered by this lander and other spacecraft now indicate that the planet once had a wetter climate.
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the fourth week of May. Join us next week to hear about two great opportunities to observe four planets.
RACHEL
Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies dot blogspot dot com For Idaho Skies this is Rachel…
PAUL
and Paul.
RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Transcript for May 12 to 18
RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the third week of May. We’re your hosts, Rachel…
PAUL
…and Paul.
RACHEL
The moon is making an evening appearance this week.
PAUL
It takes two or three days after new moon for it to get far enough away from the sun that we can easily observe it after dusk.
RACHEL
On the evening of the 12th, the moon will be a crescent and just to the left of Jupiter. Both will be close enough together to be seen at the same time in your binoculars.
PAUL
Try looking for them around 10 PM.
RACHEL
You might notice a star very close to the moon on the right.
PAUL
That’s the star Zeta Tauri, which is 418 light years away.
RACHEL
Do you want to learn to identify the constellation of Gemini?
PAUL
The celestial twins stand on top of the moon on the 13th.
RACHEL
Gemini will appear as two parallel columns of stars stretching to the upper right of the moon.
PAUL
Some of our listeners may remember when the United States launched its first space station, Skylab.
RACHEL
The day was May 14th, 1974. Initially, the launch seemed to go well.
PAUL
The outer surface of Skylab acted as a micrometeoroid shield. Engineers designed it to extend a little distance away from the main body of the space station after it entered orbit.
RACHEL
Unfortunately, the shield deployed from the space station during its ascent to orbit.
PAUL
This permitted the rush of the atmosphere to rip it and one of Skylab’s solar arrays off the space station.
RACHEL
Because of the repairs performed by the first crew of astronauts to visit Skylab, the mission of the space station was able to continue.
PAUL
Among their experiments, astronauts made observations of the sun with an array of several telescopes.
RACHEL
Because the Space Shuttle launched several years later than planned, Skylab was not rescued and refurbished before reentering the atmosphere in July 1979.
PAUL
The oldest star cluster easily visible to our eye through binoculars is M-67 in Cancer the Crab.
RACHEL
The stars in this cluster are about four billion years old, or a little younger than our solar system.
PAUL
On the evening of the 16th, the moon is your guide to this cluster.
RACHEL
Use binoculars and search for a hazy spot to the right of the moon.
PAUL
The cluster spans an angle close to the moon’s size.
RACHEL
The heart of Leo the Lion is the star Regulus.
PAUL
It’s the yellowish-orange star above the first quarter moon on the night of the 17th.
RACHEL
While it doesn’t look like much to our eye, Regulus is quite a large star. It has a diameter five times greater than the sun’s and spins much faster.
PAUL
And we mean fast. Regulus rotates once in 16 hours versus the 24 days it takes our sun to rotate once.
RACHEL
Because of its large girth and short rotational period, the surface of Regulus travels at nearly 70,000 miles per hour at its equator.
PAUL
That high speed creates a budge at the equator. The bulge makes Regulus 33% wider across its equator than across its poles.
RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the third week of May. Next week, you can locate Saturn and the star Spica next week with a little help from the moon.
PAUL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.
For Idaho Skies this is Paul…
RACHEL
and Rachel.
PAUL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the third week of May. We’re your hosts, Rachel…
PAUL
…and Paul.
RACHEL
The moon is making an evening appearance this week.
PAUL
It takes two or three days after new moon for it to get far enough away from the sun that we can easily observe it after dusk.
RACHEL
On the evening of the 12th, the moon will be a crescent and just to the left of Jupiter. Both will be close enough together to be seen at the same time in your binoculars.
PAUL
Try looking for them around 10 PM.
RACHEL
You might notice a star very close to the moon on the right.
PAUL
That’s the star Zeta Tauri, which is 418 light years away.
RACHEL
Do you want to learn to identify the constellation of Gemini?
PAUL
The celestial twins stand on top of the moon on the 13th.
RACHEL
Gemini will appear as two parallel columns of stars stretching to the upper right of the moon.
PAUL
Some of our listeners may remember when the United States launched its first space station, Skylab.
RACHEL
The day was May 14th, 1974. Initially, the launch seemed to go well.
PAUL
The outer surface of Skylab acted as a micrometeoroid shield. Engineers designed it to extend a little distance away from the main body of the space station after it entered orbit.
RACHEL
Unfortunately, the shield deployed from the space station during its ascent to orbit.
PAUL
This permitted the rush of the atmosphere to rip it and one of Skylab’s solar arrays off the space station.
RACHEL
Because of the repairs performed by the first crew of astronauts to visit Skylab, the mission of the space station was able to continue.
PAUL
Among their experiments, astronauts made observations of the sun with an array of several telescopes.
RACHEL
Because the Space Shuttle launched several years later than planned, Skylab was not rescued and refurbished before reentering the atmosphere in July 1979.
PAUL
The oldest star cluster easily visible to our eye through binoculars is M-67 in Cancer the Crab.
RACHEL
The stars in this cluster are about four billion years old, or a little younger than our solar system.
PAUL
On the evening of the 16th, the moon is your guide to this cluster.
RACHEL
Use binoculars and search for a hazy spot to the right of the moon.
PAUL
The cluster spans an angle close to the moon’s size.
RACHEL
The heart of Leo the Lion is the star Regulus.
PAUL
It’s the yellowish-orange star above the first quarter moon on the night of the 17th.
RACHEL
While it doesn’t look like much to our eye, Regulus is quite a large star. It has a diameter five times greater than the sun’s and spins much faster.
PAUL
And we mean fast. Regulus rotates once in 16 hours versus the 24 days it takes our sun to rotate once.
RACHEL
Because of its large girth and short rotational period, the surface of Regulus travels at nearly 70,000 miles per hour at its equator.
PAUL
That high speed creates a budge at the equator. The bulge makes Regulus 33% wider across its equator than across its poles.
RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the third week of May. Next week, you can locate Saturn and the star Spica next week with a little help from the moon.
PAUL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.
For Idaho Skies this is Paul…
RACHEL
and Rachel.
PAUL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Transcript for May 5 to May 11
PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the second week of May. We’re your hosts, Paul…
RACHEL
…and Rachel.
PAUL
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower reaches its peak on the 5th.
RACHEL
This meteor shower is visible for at least a week before and after its peak, which is good because the moon’s light is going to interfere.
PAUL
The moon’s light is not the only strike against this shower.
RACHEL
That’s right. It’s radiant, or the point in the sky where the meteors appear to radiate from, is close to the horizon in the Northern hemisphere.
PAUL
This means the meteor shower is much better south of the equator.
RACHEL
Did you know that the parent of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is comet Halley?
PAUL
The Eta Aquarids is one of the two showers that originate from this comet.
RACHEL
So if you observe meteors from this shower this week, you’re watching dust from comet Halley vaporizing dozens of miles overhead.
PAUL
In dark skies and with no moon, you can expect to see around ten swift meteors per hour from this shower.
RACHEL
You’ll know you’ve seen an Eta Aquarid meteor if it originated from the low east.
PAUL
Even neater, a sizable portion of these meteors are expected to leave trains.
RACHEL
Meteor trains are the glowing trails left behind a meteor’s passage through the atmosphere. They can last from a few seconds to several minutes.
PAUL
Astronomers do not fully understand the mechanism responsible for meteor trains. However, they know that some of it consists of energetic atoms.
RACHEL
The high energy of the atoms and ions in the meteor train cause them to glow.
PAUL
If you see a long lasting meteor train, you may notice that its shape changes over time. Part of the reason is that high altitude winds are blowing the train in different directions
RACHEL
The moon is new on the 9th.
PAUL
At new moon, the moon’s orbital path carries the moon closest to the sun.
RACHEL
Since the moon’s orbit is tipped five degrees relative to Earth’s equator, the moon often passes over or below the sun at new.
PAUL
If there were no tilt in the moon’s orbit, then every new moon would result in a solar eclipse.
RACHEL
Fortunately, this month, the moon will indeed pass in front of the sun. The solar eclipse will only be visible in Australia, however.
PAUL
The moon will be 24 hours old on the evening of the 10th.
RACHEL
It will be difficult to see, but this is an opportunity to search for a very young crescent moon.
PAUL
Use binoculars and look just left, or south of Venus, very low in the northwestern sky right after sunset.
RACHEL
If you can find the moon, it will be just a sliver and will not even span half a circle.
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of May. Next week the young crescent moon leads us to a very old star cluster visible in binoculars.
RACHEL
Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies dot blogspot dot com. For Idaho Skies this is Rachel…
PAUL
and Paul.
RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the second week of May. We’re your hosts, Paul…
RACHEL
…and Rachel.
PAUL
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower reaches its peak on the 5th.
RACHEL
This meteor shower is visible for at least a week before and after its peak, which is good because the moon’s light is going to interfere.
PAUL
The moon’s light is not the only strike against this shower.
RACHEL
That’s right. It’s radiant, or the point in the sky where the meteors appear to radiate from, is close to the horizon in the Northern hemisphere.
PAUL
This means the meteor shower is much better south of the equator.
RACHEL
Did you know that the parent of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is comet Halley?
PAUL
The Eta Aquarids is one of the two showers that originate from this comet.
RACHEL
So if you observe meteors from this shower this week, you’re watching dust from comet Halley vaporizing dozens of miles overhead.
PAUL
In dark skies and with no moon, you can expect to see around ten swift meteors per hour from this shower.
RACHEL
You’ll know you’ve seen an Eta Aquarid meteor if it originated from the low east.
PAUL
Even neater, a sizable portion of these meteors are expected to leave trains.
RACHEL
Meteor trains are the glowing trails left behind a meteor’s passage through the atmosphere. They can last from a few seconds to several minutes.
PAUL
Astronomers do not fully understand the mechanism responsible for meteor trains. However, they know that some of it consists of energetic atoms.
RACHEL
The high energy of the atoms and ions in the meteor train cause them to glow.
PAUL
If you see a long lasting meteor train, you may notice that its shape changes over time. Part of the reason is that high altitude winds are blowing the train in different directions
RACHEL
The moon is new on the 9th.
PAUL
At new moon, the moon’s orbital path carries the moon closest to the sun.
RACHEL
Since the moon’s orbit is tipped five degrees relative to Earth’s equator, the moon often passes over or below the sun at new.
PAUL
If there were no tilt in the moon’s orbit, then every new moon would result in a solar eclipse.
RACHEL
Fortunately, this month, the moon will indeed pass in front of the sun. The solar eclipse will only be visible in Australia, however.
PAUL
The moon will be 24 hours old on the evening of the 10th.
RACHEL
It will be difficult to see, but this is an opportunity to search for a very young crescent moon.
PAUL
Use binoculars and look just left, or south of Venus, very low in the northwestern sky right after sunset.
RACHEL
If you can find the moon, it will be just a sliver and will not even span half a circle.
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of May. Next week the young crescent moon leads us to a very old star cluster visible in binoculars.
RACHEL
Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies dot blogspot dot com. For Idaho Skies this is Rachel…
PAUL
and Paul.
RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Transcript for May 12 to May 19
RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the third week of May. We’re your hosts, Rachel…
PAUL
…and Paul.
RACHEL
The moon is making an evening appearance this week.
PAUL
It takes two or three days after new moon for it to get far enough away from the sun that we can easily observe it after dusk.
RACHEL
On the evening of the 12th, the moon will be a crescent and just to the left of Jupiter. Both will be close enough together to be seen at the same time in your binoculars.
PAUL
Try looking for them around 10 PM.
RACHEL
You might notice a star very close to the moon on the right.
PAUL
That’s the star Zeta Tauri, which is 418 light years away.
RACHEL
Do you want to learn to identify the constellation of Gemini?
PAUL
The celestial twins stand on top of the moon on the 13th.
RACHEL
Gemini will appear as two parallel columns of stars stretching to the upper right of the moon.
PAUL
Some of our listeners may remember when the United States launched its first space station, Skylab.
RACHEL
The day was May 14th, 1974. Initially, the launch seemed to go well.
PAUL
The outer surface of Skylab acted as a micrometeoroid shield. Engineers designed it to extend a little distance away from the main body of the space station after it entered orbit.
RACHEL
Unfortunately, the shield deployed from the space station during its ascent to orbit.
PAUL
This permitted the rush of the atmosphere to rip it and one of Skylab’s solar arrays off the space station.
RACHEL
Because of the repairs performed by the first crew of astronauts to visit Skylab, the mission of the space station was able to continue.
PAUL
Among their experiments, astronauts made observations of the sun with an array of several telescopes.
RACHEL
Because the Space Shuttle launched several years later than planned, Skylab was not rescued and refurbished before reentering the atmosphere in July 1979.
PAUL
The oldest star cluster easily visible to our eye through binoculars is M-67 in Cancer the Crab.
RACHEL
The stars in this cluster are about four billion years old, or a little younger than our solar system.
PAUL
On the evening of the 16th, the moon is your guide to this cluster.
RACHEL
Use binoculars and search for a hazy spot to the right of the moon.
PAUL
The cluster spans an angle close to the moon’s size.
RACHEL
The heart of Leo the Lion is the star Regulus.
PAUL
It’s the yellowish-orange star above the first quarter moon on the night of the 17th.
RACHEL
While it doesn’t look like much to our eye, Regulus is quite a large star. It has a diameter five times greater than the sun’s and spins much faster.
PAUL
And we mean fast. Regulus rotates once in 16 hours versus the 24 days it takes our sun to rotate once.
RACHEL
Because of its large girth and short rotational period, the surface of Regulus travels at nearly 70,000 miles per hour at its equator.
PAUL
That high speed creates a budge at the equator. The bulge makes Regulus 33% wider across its equator than across its poles.
RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the third week of May. Next week, you can locate Saturn and the star Spica next week with a little help from the moon.
PAUL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.
For Idaho Skies this is Paul…
RACHEL
and Rachel.
PAUL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the third week of May. We’re your hosts, Rachel…
PAUL
…and Paul.
RACHEL
The moon is making an evening appearance this week.
PAUL
It takes two or three days after new moon for it to get far enough away from the sun that we can easily observe it after dusk.
RACHEL
On the evening of the 12th, the moon will be a crescent and just to the left of Jupiter. Both will be close enough together to be seen at the same time in your binoculars.
PAUL
Try looking for them around 10 PM.
RACHEL
You might notice a star very close to the moon on the right.
PAUL
That’s the star Zeta Tauri, which is 418 light years away.
RACHEL
Do you want to learn to identify the constellation of Gemini?
PAUL
The celestial twins stand on top of the moon on the 13th.
RACHEL
Gemini will appear as two parallel columns of stars stretching to the upper right of the moon.
PAUL
Some of our listeners may remember when the United States launched its first space station, Skylab.
RACHEL
The day was May 14th, 1974. Initially, the launch seemed to go well.
PAUL
The outer surface of Skylab acted as a micrometeoroid shield. Engineers designed it to extend a little distance away from the main body of the space station after it entered orbit.
RACHEL
Unfortunately, the shield deployed from the space station during its ascent to orbit.
PAUL
This permitted the rush of the atmosphere to rip it and one of Skylab’s solar arrays off the space station.
RACHEL
Because of the repairs performed by the first crew of astronauts to visit Skylab, the mission of the space station was able to continue.
PAUL
Among their experiments, astronauts made observations of the sun with an array of several telescopes.
RACHEL
Because the Space Shuttle launched several years later than planned, Skylab was not rescued and refurbished before reentering the atmosphere in July 1979.
PAUL
The oldest star cluster easily visible to our eye through binoculars is M-67 in Cancer the Crab.
RACHEL
The stars in this cluster are about four billion years old, or a little younger than our solar system.
PAUL
On the evening of the 16th, the moon is your guide to this cluster.
RACHEL
Use binoculars and search for a hazy spot to the right of the moon.
PAUL
The cluster spans an angle close to the moon’s size.
RACHEL
The heart of Leo the Lion is the star Regulus.
PAUL
It’s the yellowish-orange star above the first quarter moon on the night of the 17th.
RACHEL
While it doesn’t look like much to our eye, Regulus is quite a large star. It has a diameter five times greater than the sun’s and spins much faster.
PAUL
And we mean fast. Regulus rotates once in 16 hours versus the 24 days it takes our sun to rotate once.
RACHEL
Because of its large girth and short rotational period, the surface of Regulus travels at nearly 70,000 miles per hour at its equator.
PAUL
That high speed creates a budge at the equator. The bulge makes Regulus 33% wider across its equator than across its poles.
RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the third week of May. Next week, you can locate Saturn and the star Spica next week with a little help from the moon.
PAUL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.
For Idaho Skies this is Paul…
RACHEL
and Rachel.
PAUL
Dark skies and bright stars.
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