Transcript for March 8 - 14

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the second week of March. We’re your hosts, Paul...

RACHEL
 ...and Rachel.

PAUL
The moon’s next to a lonely star on the 8th.

RACHEL
The star is the brightest star of one of the largest constellations.

PAUL
Unfortunately, Virgo the Maiden consists of dim stars, so the constellation isn’t visible in town.

RACHEL
The star is named Spica and it represents a stalk of wheat in Virgo’s hand.

PAUL
Spica is a white-hot star because it’s four times hotter than the sun.

RACHEL
And it would appear even brighter if we could see its ultraviolet radiation.

PAUL
Spica resides very close to the elliptic, or the path that the moon and planets follow around the sky.

RACHEL So occasionally, the moon passes right over it. PAUL When the moon does pass over a star, the star winks out instantly.

RACHEL
The rate of the star’s disappearance indicates that the moon has no measurable atmosphere.

PAUL
If the moon did have an atmosphere, even a thin one, stars would fade out more slowly as the atmosphere refracted their starlight away from Earth.

RACHEL
A widely spaced double star appears to the moon’s lower left on the 10th.

PAUL
Zubenelgenubi is the star’s name and it means the Scorpion’s Southern Claw in Arabic.

RACHEL
Unlike many double stars, people with good eyesight can split Zubenelgenubi into two stars.

PAUL
Most double stars require a telescope for people to resolve.

 RACHEL
And some are so close that even a telescope isn’t good enough.

PAUL
One way we know these stars are double is that sometimes one of the stars passes in front of the other.

RACHEL
This creates a stellar eclipse that periodically decreases the brightness of the star.

PAUL Do you remember that Venus and Uranus were really close to each other last week?

RACHEL
Well, Mars and Uranus get their turn on the 10th. PAUL Point your binoculars at Mars between 8:00 and 8:30 PM.

RACHEL
Mars will be the second brightest star in the low west.

PAUL
Be sure you don’t confuse Mars for Venus, which is brighter and a little higher in the sky.

RACHEL
Once you’ve got Mars in your binoculars, look for the star just above the upper left of Mars.

PAUL
That will be Uranus.

RACHEL
If you can afford a little time to star gaze at 5:00 AM on the 14th, then aim your binoculars on the last quarter moon.

PAUL
It’s located in the constellation of Sagittarius the Archer.

RACHEL
And smack dab in the middle of the Milky Way.

PAUL
Therefore, scattered all around the moon are star clusters and nebulae.

RACHEL
Most will appear as small fuzzy clouds in your binoculars.

PAUL
However, some of the star clusters will also show a sprinkling of stars.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of March. Next week we’ll talk about Earthshine from the moon’s perspective.

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.