Welcome to Idaho Skies for the second week of January. We’re your hosts, Paul...
RACHEL
...and Rachel.
PAUL
Venus is visible once again as the Evening Star.
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And it has a friend for the next two weeks.
PAUL
Look low in the southwest at 6:00 PM on the 11th for Venus; it’s the brightest star in that part of the sky.
RACHEL
Just located to the right of Venus is a fainter star that’s actually the planet Mercury.
PAUL
A pair of binoculars is useful for observing this duo.
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But please be careful, don’t use your binoculars until after the sun sets.
PAUL
A relatively bright star appears just below the moon on the morning of the 13th.
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The star is Spica, the alpha star of Virgo the Maiden.
PAUL
The distance between the moon and Spica is 2.5 degrees, or about five times the moon’s apparent diameter.
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That means the pair will fit nicely within the field of view of your binoculars.
PAUL
Spica is the 15th brightest star and its 250 light years away.
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However, Spica is not just one star.
PAUL
That’s right; it’s actually a pair of giant stars orbiting each other in just four days.
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The stars orbit each other so quickly because they’re very close together.
PAUL
They’re so close that their gravity stretches them into egg-shapes.
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Mercury reaches it greatest distance from the sun on the night of the 14th.
PAUL
Astronomers call this Mercury’s greatest eastern elongation.
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In astronomy talk, that means Mercury appears as far east of the sun as possible.
PAUL
So as its getting dark at 6:00 PM, look for Mercury just right of brighter Venus.
RACHEL
The pair will be 10 degrees above the southwest horizon, which is about twice the angle your binoculars can see.
PAUL
Saturn and the moon appear just one degree apart on the morning of the 16th.
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So as you drive to work on Friday morning, look for a star to the moon’s right.
PAUL
If you’re not driving to work that morning and you have a telescope, then take a few minutes to look at Saturn.
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Even at low power, the planet’s rings are visible as a yellowish disk surrounding Saturn’s equator.
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Don’t confuse for an orangish star below the moon.
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That’s a real star, the red giant Antares.
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Antares is the brightest star of Scorpius the Scorpion.
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It represents the heart of the scorpion and its just over 600 light years away.
PAUL
That means the light you see tonight left in the year 1410.
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That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of January. Next week you have the opportunity to see a very young moon and Earthshine.
PAUL
Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies.blogspot.com. For Idaho Skies this is Paul...
RACHEL
...and Rachel.
PAUL
Dark skies and bright stars.
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