Easy Star Gazing
The Street Astronomer holds Easy Star Gazing presentations at several locations in the Treasure Valley during March, June, September, and December.
Easy Star Gazing Notes
An online copy of the Easy Star Gazing class and links is available at nearsys.com/easy
Idaho Skies Radio Program
Radio Boise (89.9 FM Caldwell/Boise and 93.5 FM Garden City) presents a regularly scheduled astronomy program at the following times
Tuesday at 3:30 PM
Wednesday at 3:30 PM
Thursday at 7:30 PM
Friday at 10:30 AM and 10:30 PM
Sunday at 8:30 PM
Follow Idaho Skies tweets at www.twitter.com/Idahoskies
The Idaho Skies blog is located at http://idahoskies.blogspot.com
Monthly Star Maps
Free stars maps are available online at http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html
(Click the Northern Hemisphere PDF file in the left column
Idaho Astronomy Clubs
Boise Astronomical Society (BAS)
Boise’s astronomy club meets on the second Friday of the month at the Discovery Center of Idaho. Meetings begin at 7:00 PM, except for July, December, and an annual planetarium meeting which are a members only event. http://www.boiseastro.org
Idaho Falls Astronomical Society (IFAS)
Idaho Falls’ astronomy club meets on the third Tuesday of the month at the Skyline Activity Center, 1575 N. Skyline Dr. Meetings begin at 7:00 PM.
http://www.ifastro.org/
Magic Valley Astronomical Society (MVAS)
Twin Falls’ astronomy club meets on the second Saturday of the month at the Herrett Center, College of southern Idaho. Meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are followed by a public star party upstairs. http://www.mvastro.org
Palouse Astronomical Society (PAS)
Northern Idaho’s astronomy club meets the first Thursday of the month. Locations change, so consult their calendar at, http://palouseastro.org/
Idaho Observatories
Bruneau Dunes Observatory
Idaho’s largest public observatory is located at the Bruneau Dunes State Park. The observatory is open from early April to Mid October. Observatory sessions are preceded by a presentation in the Steele Reese Center. http://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/bruneau-dunes
BYU-Idaho Observatory
The campus generally opens its observatory on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 7:00 PM to 10:00PM (weather and school schedules permitting). http://www.byui.edu/physics/resources/non-majors/observatory
Centennial Observatory
The observatory at the College of Southern Idaho is open for free star parties one hour after sunset (weather permitting) on the second Saturday of the month and on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month from November through February. http://herrett.csi.edu/astronomy/observatory/index.asp
Planetariums
BYU-Idaho Planetarium
Weekly planetarium shows are presented on campus in Rexburg every Thursday (school schedule permitting). The door opens at 6:30 PM and the presentation begins at 7:00 PM. The planetarium is located in the Romney Science Building, room 107. http://www.byui.edu/planetarium
Faulkner Planetarium
The Faulkner Planetarium is the largest planetarium in Idaho. Shows are presented Tuesday through Saturday in the summer and Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday the rest of the year. In addition, the planetarium hosts astronomy talks on Fridays in odd months. The planetarium is located at the Herrett Center at the College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls. http://herrett.csi.edu/astronomy/planetarium/index.asp
Whittenberger Planetarium
The College of Idaho planetarium is opened to the public the first and third Wednesday of the month, school calendar permitting. The door opens at 6:45 PM and the show begins at 7:00 PM. The college is located in Caldwell. http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/planetarium
Star Parties
Craters of the Moon Star Party
The Magic Valley and Idaho Falls Astronomical Societies jointly hosts an annual star party at the Craters of the Moon National Monument every summer. Consult their webpages for the schedule.
Idaho Star Party
The Boise Astronomical Society hosts an annual public star party every later summer at Bruneau Dunes State Park. An admission fee is charged for the star party and it is opened to the public. Check the Boise Astronomical Society’s webpage for the schedule.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
Transcript for April 24th to 30th
PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the fourth week of April. We’re your hosts, Paul...
RACHEL
...and Rachel.
PAUL
Are you looking for Mars and Saturn?
RACHEL
You’ll find the red and ringed planets below the moon on the night of the 25th.
PAUL
Mars, appearing as a relatively bright orangish-red star, is located to the lower right of the moon.
RACHEL
Saturn appears as a creamy-white star and it’s located to the lower left of the moon.
PAUL
Don’t confuse Mars for Antares, however.
RACHEL
Mars is a planet while Antares is a red supergiant star.
PAUL
Mars and Antares have similar colors, but you’ll find Antares farther below Mars.
RACHEL
And Antares will be slightly fainter than Mars.
PAUL
Antares represents the heart of the constellation of Scorpius the Scorpion.
RACHEL
It’s a red supergiant, meaning it’s nearing the end of its life.
PAUL
Its core is filled with the helium formed by the hydrogen fuel it consumed during its stellar youth.
RACHEL
The pressure in the core of Antares is so high that the star is fusing this helium into heavier elements like carbon and oxygen.
PAUL
And as a result, hydrogen is fusing into helium in a shell surrounding its helium core.
RACHEL
The high temperature inside of Antares’ core has caused its outer layer to expand to an immense size.
PAUL
In fact, if Antares replaced our sun, the star’s surface would lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
RACHEL
In a few stellar years, Antares will no longer be able to produce enough heat to support its weight.
PAUL
When that occurs, the massive core of the star will collapse so fast that it will leave the outer shell of the star unsupported.
RACHEL
The iron core of the star will rebound slightly as the outer envelope of the star comes crashing down on the core.
PAUL
The result will be a supernova explosion so bright that it will be seen across a large portion of the universe.
RACHEL
And all that will be left of poor Antares is an expanding cloud of hot gas surrounding a neutron star or black hole.
PAUL
Adios muchachos.
RACHEL
On the night of the 25th, the moon passes just above Saturn.
PAUL
Saturn appears golden yellow in color and it will not twinkle like other stars.
RACHEL
Unlike Jupiter, there isn’t anything you can see on Saturn using binoculars.
PAUL
You’ll need at least a small telescope or spotting scope to see its set of rings.
RACHEL
A magnification of at least 25 power is needed.
PAUL
Saturn’s beautiful rings are made up of uncounted numbers of icy snowballs.
RACHEL
Some of these snowballs are larger than a beach ball.
PAUL
The thickness of the rings varies from 33 feet to about one half of a mile.
RACHEL
This means when scaled to a sheet of paper, the rings of Saturn are thinner (than paper).
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the fourth week of April. Next week, early birds can see Earthshine.
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.
RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the fourth week of April. We’re your hosts, Paul...
RACHEL
...and Rachel.
PAUL
Are you looking for Mars and Saturn?
RACHEL
You’ll find the red and ringed planets below the moon on the night of the 25th.
PAUL
Mars, appearing as a relatively bright orangish-red star, is located to the lower right of the moon.
RACHEL
Saturn appears as a creamy-white star and it’s located to the lower left of the moon.
PAUL
Don’t confuse Mars for Antares, however.
RACHEL
Mars is a planet while Antares is a red supergiant star.
PAUL
Mars and Antares have similar colors, but you’ll find Antares farther below Mars.
RACHEL
And Antares will be slightly fainter than Mars.
PAUL
Antares represents the heart of the constellation of Scorpius the Scorpion.
RACHEL
It’s a red supergiant, meaning it’s nearing the end of its life.
PAUL
Its core is filled with the helium formed by the hydrogen fuel it consumed during its stellar youth.
RACHEL
The pressure in the core of Antares is so high that the star is fusing this helium into heavier elements like carbon and oxygen.
PAUL
And as a result, hydrogen is fusing into helium in a shell surrounding its helium core.
RACHEL
The high temperature inside of Antares’ core has caused its outer layer to expand to an immense size.
PAUL
In fact, if Antares replaced our sun, the star’s surface would lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
RACHEL
In a few stellar years, Antares will no longer be able to produce enough heat to support its weight.
PAUL
When that occurs, the massive core of the star will collapse so fast that it will leave the outer shell of the star unsupported.
RACHEL
The iron core of the star will rebound slightly as the outer envelope of the star comes crashing down on the core.
PAUL
The result will be a supernova explosion so bright that it will be seen across a large portion of the universe.
RACHEL
And all that will be left of poor Antares is an expanding cloud of hot gas surrounding a neutron star or black hole.
PAUL
Adios muchachos.
RACHEL
On the night of the 25th, the moon passes just above Saturn.
PAUL
Saturn appears golden yellow in color and it will not twinkle like other stars.
RACHEL
Unlike Jupiter, there isn’t anything you can see on Saturn using binoculars.
PAUL
You’ll need at least a small telescope or spotting scope to see its set of rings.
RACHEL
A magnification of at least 25 power is needed.
PAUL
Saturn’s beautiful rings are made up of uncounted numbers of icy snowballs.
RACHEL
Some of these snowballs are larger than a beach ball.
PAUL
The thickness of the rings varies from 33 feet to about one half of a mile.
RACHEL
This means when scaled to a sheet of paper, the rings of Saturn are thinner (than paper).
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the fourth week of April. Next week, early birds can see Earthshine.
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.
RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Transcript for April 17th to 23rd
RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the third week of April. We’re your hosts, Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
You’ll find a bright yellow-white star 3 degrees above the moon on the night of the 17th.
PAUL
That bright star is actually a planet, the planet Jupiter.
RACHEL
It’s also the largest planet in the solar system.
PAUL
In fact, it's about 11 times larger than Earth.
RACHEL
Through your binoculars, you can see three of its largest satellites after it gets dark at around 10:00 PM.
PAUL
However, if you observe again at 11:00 PM, you’ll see four satellites.
RACHEL
Wait, another satellite in less than an hour?
PAUL
Yep. That’s because its giant satellite Ganymede is traveling out of Jupiter’s shadow.
RACHEL
If you look closely at the left side of Jupiter, or toward our east, Ganymede will gradually grow brighter as 11:00 PM approaches.
PAUL
Remember that telescopes invert objects, so if you observe this event through a telescope, then Ganymede will reappear from the right side of Jupiter.
RACHEL
Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation on the 19th.
PAUL
Elongations are only possible for inferior planets or those planets closer to the sun than Earth.
RACHEL
That’s Mercury and Venus.
PAUL
That’s right. Elongations occur when the position of an inferior planet places it at its greatest distance from the sun, with respect to Earth.
RACHEL
That’s important because it’s when inferior planets appear at their greatest distance from the sun.
PAUL
Therefore, we see them for longer periods of time and in darker skies.
RACHEL
Your best view of tiny Mercury takes place on the evening of the 19th.
PAUL
Plan to be outside at 9:30 and look for the planet in the low west-northwest.
RACHEL
The first reasonably bright white star you see that’s a little above the horizon is Mercury.
PAUL
Be sure to check up on Mercury over the next few days.
RACHEL
That’s because you’ll notice that it’s getting closer to the horizon each night.
PAUL
And by the 28th, the planet wil be too close to the horizon for you to see.
RACHEL
The Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak intensity on the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd.
PAUL
Lyrid meteors appear to originate near the star Vega, the bright star you’ll see in the low east-northeast after 10:00 PM.
RACHEL
In good dark skies, one can see upwards of 15 meteors per hour from this shower.
PAUL
Even better, some of them are exceptionally bright and create lingering trails.
RACHEL
Unfortunately, the moon is full that night and its light will wash the sky clean of the fainter meteors in this shower.
PAUL
However, it still may be worth observing this shower for a while because of its brightest members.
RACHEL
When you see a Lyrid streak across the sky, you’re witnessing the destruction of a grain of dust from a long dead comet.
PAUL
The dust grains begin vaporizing at altitudes between 60 and 80 miles.
RACHEL
While most meteoroids are only the size of a pinhead, we can see them from hundreds of miles away.
PAUL
The reason is because Lyrid meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of around 29 miles per second.
RACHEL
And that’s a lot of kinetic energy to dissipate.
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the third week of April. The planets Mars and Saturn are easy to locate next week.
RACHEL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.
For Idaho Skies this is Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the third week of April. We’re your hosts, Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
You’ll find a bright yellow-white star 3 degrees above the moon on the night of the 17th.
PAUL
That bright star is actually a planet, the planet Jupiter.
RACHEL
It’s also the largest planet in the solar system.
PAUL
In fact, it's about 11 times larger than Earth.
RACHEL
Through your binoculars, you can see three of its largest satellites after it gets dark at around 10:00 PM.
PAUL
However, if you observe again at 11:00 PM, you’ll see four satellites.
RACHEL
Wait, another satellite in less than an hour?
PAUL
Yep. That’s because its giant satellite Ganymede is traveling out of Jupiter’s shadow.
RACHEL
If you look closely at the left side of Jupiter, or toward our east, Ganymede will gradually grow brighter as 11:00 PM approaches.
PAUL
Remember that telescopes invert objects, so if you observe this event through a telescope, then Ganymede will reappear from the right side of Jupiter.
RACHEL
Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation on the 19th.
PAUL
Elongations are only possible for inferior planets or those planets closer to the sun than Earth.
RACHEL
That’s Mercury and Venus.
PAUL
That’s right. Elongations occur when the position of an inferior planet places it at its greatest distance from the sun, with respect to Earth.
RACHEL
That’s important because it’s when inferior planets appear at their greatest distance from the sun.
PAUL
Therefore, we see them for longer periods of time and in darker skies.
RACHEL
Your best view of tiny Mercury takes place on the evening of the 19th.
PAUL
Plan to be outside at 9:30 and look for the planet in the low west-northwest.
RACHEL
The first reasonably bright white star you see that’s a little above the horizon is Mercury.
PAUL
Be sure to check up on Mercury over the next few days.
RACHEL
That’s because you’ll notice that it’s getting closer to the horizon each night.
PAUL
And by the 28th, the planet wil be too close to the horizon for you to see.
RACHEL
The Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak intensity on the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd.
PAUL
Lyrid meteors appear to originate near the star Vega, the bright star you’ll see in the low east-northeast after 10:00 PM.
RACHEL
In good dark skies, one can see upwards of 15 meteors per hour from this shower.
PAUL
Even better, some of them are exceptionally bright and create lingering trails.
RACHEL
Unfortunately, the moon is full that night and its light will wash the sky clean of the fainter meteors in this shower.
PAUL
However, it still may be worth observing this shower for a while because of its brightest members.
RACHEL
When you see a Lyrid streak across the sky, you’re witnessing the destruction of a grain of dust from a long dead comet.
PAUL
The dust grains begin vaporizing at altitudes between 60 and 80 miles.
RACHEL
While most meteoroids are only the size of a pinhead, we can see them from hundreds of miles away.
PAUL
The reason is because Lyrid meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of around 29 miles per second.
RACHEL
And that’s a lot of kinetic energy to dissipate.
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the third week of April. The planets Mars and Saturn are easy to locate next week.
RACHEL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.
For Idaho Skies this is Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Transcript: April 10 - 16
PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the second week of April. We’re your hosts, Paul...
RACHEL
...and Rachel.
PAUL
The Hyades is a star cluster named after the daughters of Atlas and they are also the sisters of the Pleiades.
RACHEL
The brightest star appearing in the Hyades star cluster is called Aldebaran.
PAUL
However, Aldebaran is not actually a part of the cluster.
RACHEL
That’s right; it’s a foreground star.
PAUL
The Hyades, which is the closest star cluster to the sun is 151 light years away...
RACHEL
...while Aldebaran is only 65 light years away.
PAUL
The moon appears very close to Aldebaran on the evening of the 10th.
RACHEL
The distance between then is so close that you’ll be able to see both the crescent Moon and Aldebaran together in a pair of binoculars.
PAUL
Looking for Gemini the Twins?
RACHEL
On the evening of the 12th, you’ll find the moon at the feet of Gemini.
PAUL
Hey, Gemini and the moon reminds me of a footballer kicking a soccer ball.
RACHEL
But Gemini only resembles the footballer from the waist down.
PAUL
In other words, the Gemini Twins represents the player’s legs and waist.
RACHEL
There are two bright stars at the player’s hips.
PAUL
The star at the top left is Pollux and the star at the top right is slightly fainter Castor.
RACHEL
Speaking of the moon, it reaches first quarter phase on the 13th.
PAUL
That’s the half full phase.
RACHEL
And it means if you want to see the most spectacular views of the moon, it won’t get any better than on the night of the 13th.
PAUL
So get your binoculars out and scan along the edge of the moon.
RACHEL
Some of the best lunar views occur at first quarter because the moon’s terminator, or boundary between day and night, faces directly towards Earth.
PAUL
At the break of lunar day, shadows cast by the sun stretch their longest across the lunar surface.
RACHEL
And since the lunar terminator is turned directly towards Earth, we see the shadows cast by the sun fully stretched out.
PAUL
This means we see the maximum amount of crater and mountain details through telescopes, spotting scopes, and even binoculars.
RACHEL
The next night, or the 14th, the moon passes an attractive star cluster.
PAUL
The star cluster’s name is the Beehive and it’s just five degrees above the moon.
RACHEL
That distance is just right for most binoculars.
PAUL
Meaning if you place the moon at the bottom of the binoculars' field of view, the Beehive will appear just at the top.
RACHEL
However, your best view of the Beehive occurs when you raise the binoculars high enough to get the moon out of the field of view.
PAUL
...and place the Beehive in the center of view.
RACHEL
Now here’s an old astronomy trick for observing the Beehive.
PAUL
Instead of looking directly at it, try looking at it with the edge of your vision.
RACHEL
While the center of your vision is most capable of seeing details...
PAUL
...your peripheral vision is best at detecting faint light.
RACHEL
Astronomers call this method using averted vision.
PAUL
Using averted vision, you should be able to detect even more stars.
RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of April. Next week the Jovian satellite Ganymede comes out of hiding.
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.
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the second week of April. We’re your hosts, Paul...
RACHEL
...and Rachel.
PAUL
The Hyades is a star cluster named after the daughters of Atlas and they are also the sisters of the Pleiades.
RACHEL
The brightest star appearing in the Hyades star cluster is called Aldebaran.
PAUL
However, Aldebaran is not actually a part of the cluster.
RACHEL
That’s right; it’s a foreground star.
PAUL
The Hyades, which is the closest star cluster to the sun is 151 light years away...
RACHEL
...while Aldebaran is only 65 light years away.
PAUL
The moon appears very close to Aldebaran on the evening of the 10th.
RACHEL
The distance between then is so close that you’ll be able to see both the crescent Moon and Aldebaran together in a pair of binoculars.
PAUL
Looking for Gemini the Twins?
RACHEL
On the evening of the 12th, you’ll find the moon at the feet of Gemini.
PAUL
Hey, Gemini and the moon reminds me of a footballer kicking a soccer ball.
RACHEL
But Gemini only resembles the footballer from the waist down.
PAUL
In other words, the Gemini Twins represents the player’s legs and waist.
RACHEL
There are two bright stars at the player’s hips.
PAUL
The star at the top left is Pollux and the star at the top right is slightly fainter Castor.
RACHEL
Speaking of the moon, it reaches first quarter phase on the 13th.
PAUL
That’s the half full phase.
RACHEL
And it means if you want to see the most spectacular views of the moon, it won’t get any better than on the night of the 13th.
PAUL
So get your binoculars out and scan along the edge of the moon.
RACHEL
Some of the best lunar views occur at first quarter because the moon’s terminator, or boundary between day and night, faces directly towards Earth.
PAUL
At the break of lunar day, shadows cast by the sun stretch their longest across the lunar surface.
RACHEL
And since the lunar terminator is turned directly towards Earth, we see the shadows cast by the sun fully stretched out.
PAUL
This means we see the maximum amount of crater and mountain details through telescopes, spotting scopes, and even binoculars.
RACHEL
The next night, or the 14th, the moon passes an attractive star cluster.
PAUL
The star cluster’s name is the Beehive and it’s just five degrees above the moon.
RACHEL
That distance is just right for most binoculars.
PAUL
Meaning if you place the moon at the bottom of the binoculars' field of view, the Beehive will appear just at the top.
RACHEL
However, your best view of the Beehive occurs when you raise the binoculars high enough to get the moon out of the field of view.
PAUL
...and place the Beehive in the center of view.
RACHEL
Now here’s an old astronomy trick for observing the Beehive.
PAUL
Instead of looking directly at it, try looking at it with the edge of your vision.
RACHEL
While the center of your vision is most capable of seeing details...
PAUL
...your peripheral vision is best at detecting faint light.
RACHEL
Astronomers call this method using averted vision.
PAUL
Using averted vision, you should be able to detect even more stars.
RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of April. Next week the Jovian satellite Ganymede comes out of hiding.
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.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Attempt to Photograph Orion
I tried using my digital camera to photograph Orion the Hunter. I used GIMP to manipulate the image and found out that it created artificial stars in the process. So I will next learn ho to subtract a blank field from the image and remove those stars. Then I'll try stacking several images together to in hope of creating nice star field images with a simple camera.
Regulus is April's Star
This April, look for the star Regulus. Regulus is the lucida or brightest star of Leo the Lion. It’s the 25th brightest star in the heavens and its 77 light years away. This means if you were born in 1939, Regulus is your birthday star this year. The word Regulus is Latin for, “Little King” and it gets this name because the star represents the heart of Leo the Lion. Regulus is a heavy star at 3-1/2 times heavier and larger than out sun. Because of its extra mass, the star is consuming its supply of hydrogen faster than the sun. This rapid consumption of hydrogen results in a star that’s 240 times brighter than our sun. This is why we can easily see the star from a distance of 77 light years away. Compare this to our sun. If viewed from Regulus, our sun would be so dim that we couldn’t see it without the aid of a telescope.
The constellation of Leo the Lion passes overhead at 9:00 PM in early April and at 8:00 PM in late April. When you look up at Leo, you’ll first notice its backwards question mark of stars. The question mark, or Sickle of Leo, consists of six stars that’s opened towards the west. The sickle’s bottom star is Regulus. The question mark represents the back of the head and neck of Leo, with Leo’s head looking to the west. Behind the Sickle of Leo is his hind quarters, which is represented by three stars forming a triangle pointing toward the east.
The constellation of Leo the Lion passes overhead at 9:00 PM in early April and at 8:00 PM in late April. When you look up at Leo, you’ll first notice its backwards question mark of stars. The question mark, or Sickle of Leo, consists of six stars that’s opened towards the west. The sickle’s bottom star is Regulus. The question mark represents the back of the head and neck of Leo, with Leo’s head looking to the west. Behind the Sickle of Leo is his hind quarters, which is represented by three stars forming a triangle pointing toward the east.
Idaho Skies for April 2016
April 1 – 7
Early birds will find Saturn and Mars to the left of the
moon on the morning of the 1st. The moon is in the constellation of
Sagittarius the Archer and one constellation further to the right, which is Scorpius
the Scorpion, is located Saturn and Mars. Saturn appears mellow yellow in color
while Mars appears a brighter orange. Below Mars is another red-orange beacon,
the star Antares. This is very fitting, since Antares is Greek for “Rival of
Ares”, their god of war. In Roman, Ares is called Mars.
The moon is located in the low east-southeast on the mornings
of the 2nd and 3rd. Go out and see if you can see
Earthshine on those mornings. You’ll need to out around 5:45 AM in order to see
Earthshine. Too much later and the breaking dawn will brighten the eastern
horizon too much.
April 8 – 14
Our innermost planet,
Mercury is visible above the western horizon most of this month. That means you
can see this seldom observed planet after sunset in April, with the best
evenings between the 8th the 20th. On the 8th,
Mercury appears as the white star to the right of the moon. You’ll need to go
outside a little after 9:00 PM to see this pair. The moon is two days old, so
it’s a thin crescent that might be easier to find with a pair of binoculars.
Two very attractive star clusters appear above the moon on
the evening of the 9th. The Pleiades is the little dipper-shape grouping
of stars located to the upper right of the moon and the Hyades is the much
larger and sparser V-shaped cluster of stars appearing to the upper left of the
moon. Both star clusters make excellent objects for inspection through your
binoculars.
The brightest star in
the Hyades star cluster is called Aldebaran. However, Aldebaran is not a part
of the cluster; it’s actually a foreground star. The moon appears very close to
this foreground star on the evening of the 10th. Their distance
apart is so close that you’ll be able to see both the crescent Moon and
Aldebaran together in a pair of binoculars.
Looking for Gemini the Twins? On the evening of the 12th,
you’ll find the moon at the feet of Gemini. The scene should vaguely resemble a
footballer (at least from the waist down) kicking a soccer ball. The Gemini
Twins in this case are the player’s legs and waist. The star at the top left of
Gemini is Pollux and the star at the top right is slightly fainter Castor.
The moon reaches first quarter phase on the 13th.
Therefore, if you want to see the most spectacular views of the moon through a telescope,
or even binoculars, you can’t go wrong taking a peek at the moon on the evening
of the 13th.
Another nice star
cluster is the Beehive. And it just so happens that the moon passes 5 degrees
below this star cluster on the night of the 14th. The distance
between the Beehive and the moon is just right for most binoculars. Meaning if
you place the moon at the bottom of your binoculars view of view, the Beehive
will appear just at the top. Your best view of the Beehive occurs when you
raise the binoculars high enough to get the moon out of the field of view and place
the Beehive in the center. The Beehive appears like a swarm of stars, and not
unlike a swarm of bees.
April 15 – 21
You’ll find a bright yellow-white
star 3 degrees above the moon on the night of the 17th. That bright
star is actually a planet, the planet Jupiter and the largest planet in the
solar system. Through your binoculars, you’ll see three of its largest satellites
after it gets dark at around 10:00 PM. However, if you observe again after
11:00, you’ll find that dim Ganymede has grown much brighter, meaning you’ll be
able to see Jupiter’s four largest satellites. The reason Ganymede brightens so
much is that it’s traveling out of Jupiter’s shadow between 10:00 and 11:00 PM.
Mercury reaches its
greatest eastern elongation on the 19th. Elongations are only
possible for inferior planets, or those planets closer to the sun than Earth,
namely Mercury and Venus. Elongations occur when the position of an inferior
planet places it at its greatest distances from the sun with respect to Earth.
As a result of this larger than average distance from the sun, the inferior planets
are at their easiest to see at times of greatest elongations. Your best view of
Mercury takes place on the evening of the 19th. So plan to be
outside at 9:30 and look in the low west-northwest. The first bright white star
you see above the horizon is Mercury. Check up on Mercury over the next few
days and you’ll notice that it’s getting closer to the horizon each night. By
about the 28th, the planet will be too close to the horizon for you
to see anymore.
There’s a lonely white
star below the moon on the 20th. The star is Spica, the brightest
star in the otherwise dim constellation of Virgo the Maiden. Spica means “sheaf
of wheat” and Virgo represents Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, a harvest
goddess of the ancient Greeks. In the past, the sun passed through Virgo from
the end of August to the end of September, or during the time of harvest.
April 22 – 30
The moon reaches full on the night of the
21st. The full moon in April is called the Egg Moon in some
cultures. You won’t see many craters and mountains on the moon tonight, but you
will see its lunar seas (or maria) very well.
The Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak intensity on the
night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. Lyrid meteors
appear to originate in the constellation of Lyra the Lyre, near its brightest star
Vega. You’ll find this star in the low east-northeast after 10:00 PM. In good
dark skies, one can see upwards of 15 meteors per hour from this shower. And
some of them will be exceptionally bright and leave trails. Unfortunately, the
moon is full tonight and its light will wash the sky clean of the fainter
meteors in this shower. However, it still might be worth the effort to observe
this shower.
There’s a star to the lower right of the moon late on the
night of the 22nd. The star has the name Zubenelgenubi. What makes
it special, aside from its rather unique name is that it’s a double star that
you can resolve as two separate stars though binoculars. Some people may even
be capable of this feat with just their eyes. Most stars come in pairs or even triples
in orbit around each other, but most can’t be seen as multiple stars through
binoculars. Zubenelgenubi is just one such star that you can see as separate
stars.
Looking for Mars and
Saturn? You’ll find the ringed and red planets below the moon on the night of
the 25th. Mars, in guise as a relatively bright orangish-red star,
is located to the lower right of the moon. Saturn appears as a creamy-white
star to the lower left of the moon. Don’t confuse Mars for Antares. Mars and
Antares have similar colors, but Antares is a star and it’s located farther
below Mars.
Let the moon lead you to a bunch of nebulae and star
clusters that you can see in binoculars on the 27th. These astronomical objects surround
the core of our galaxy and are therefore located within the constellation Sagittarius
the Archer. Scan the region to the right of the moon, both up and down. The
clusters and nebulae will appear as small fuzzy clouds or small sprinkles of
stars.
The moon reaches last quarter phase on the 29th.
Last quarter is another good moon phase because it shows lots of lunar terrain
detail, just like first quarter phase. You’ll need to go outside after midnight
to see the moon in the last quarter phase.
Transcript for April 3rd to 9th
RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the first week of April. We’re your hosts, Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
Last week, the moon passed the region in the sky marking the center of our galaxy.
PAUL
Did you know that a monster lurks there?
RACHEL
Yep, a black hole more massive than 4 million suns.
PAUL
Its name is Sagittarius A* (A-star)
RACHEL
Calculations show that Sagittarius A* has a diameter as wide as Mercury’s orbit around the sun.
PAUL
We can’t see black holes directly, since no beam of light can escape from their surface.
RACHEL
However, before matter spirals into the black hole, it emits fantastic amounts of energy.
PAUL
That energy is in the form of electromagnetic radiation and it includes radio waves all the way up to x-rays.
RACHEL
And in some cases, even higher energy gamma rays.
PAUL
The disk of spiraling matter around a black hole is called an accretion disk.
RACHEL
So the radiation emitted by a black hole accretion disk means even approaching a black hole would be dangerous for would be space travelers.
PAUL
Astronomers have discovered that all galaxies probably have black holes in their center.
RACHEL
And that the mass of the black hole correlates to the mass of the galaxy.
PAUL
What we don’t know yet is if the black hole controls the galaxy’s mass or the if galaxy controls the mass of its black hole.
RACHEL
Sounds like the chicken and the egg to me.
PAUL
Since we mentioned Mercury, we want to let you know that you can see this tiny planet in April.
RACHEL
The best evenings are between the 8th the 20th.
PAUL
On the 8th, Mercury appears as the white star to the right of the moon.
RACHEL
Look for the pair just north of west.
PAUL
You’ll need to go outside a little after 9:00 PM just after it gets dark enough to see the pair clearly.
RACHEL
The moon is almost directly west and it’s just two days old.
PAUL
That means it’s a thin crescent, so it might be easier to find the pair with binoculars.
RACHEL
Don’t go searching for the moon with binoculars until after the sun sets.
PAUL
Two very attractive star clusters appear above the moon on the evening of the 9th.
RACHEL
The first is the Pleiades and it’s the little dipper-shaped grouping of stars located to the upper right of the moon.
PAUL
The second is the Hyades and it is a much larger and sparser cluster than the Pleiades.
RACHEL
The Hyades is a V-shaped cluster of stars appearing to the upper left of the moon.
PAUL
The star cluster will fill nearly the entire field of view of your binoculars, so it’s not quite as sparkly as the tinier Pleiades.
RACHEL
Through binoculars, you’ll see around two dozen stars in each star cluster.
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the first week of April. Next week the Beehive star cluster and the moon will meet up, so we’ll tell you the best way to see the cluster’s multitude of stars.
RACHEL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.
For Idaho Skies this is Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the first week of April. We’re your hosts, Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
Last week, the moon passed the region in the sky marking the center of our galaxy.
PAUL
Did you know that a monster lurks there?
RACHEL
Yep, a black hole more massive than 4 million suns.
PAUL
Its name is Sagittarius A* (A-star)
RACHEL
Calculations show that Sagittarius A* has a diameter as wide as Mercury’s orbit around the sun.
PAUL
We can’t see black holes directly, since no beam of light can escape from their surface.
RACHEL
However, before matter spirals into the black hole, it emits fantastic amounts of energy.
PAUL
That energy is in the form of electromagnetic radiation and it includes radio waves all the way up to x-rays.
RACHEL
And in some cases, even higher energy gamma rays.
PAUL
The disk of spiraling matter around a black hole is called an accretion disk.
RACHEL
So the radiation emitted by a black hole accretion disk means even approaching a black hole would be dangerous for would be space travelers.
PAUL
Astronomers have discovered that all galaxies probably have black holes in their center.
RACHEL
And that the mass of the black hole correlates to the mass of the galaxy.
PAUL
What we don’t know yet is if the black hole controls the galaxy’s mass or the if galaxy controls the mass of its black hole.
RACHEL
Sounds like the chicken and the egg to me.
PAUL
Since we mentioned Mercury, we want to let you know that you can see this tiny planet in April.
RACHEL
The best evenings are between the 8th the 20th.
PAUL
On the 8th, Mercury appears as the white star to the right of the moon.
RACHEL
Look for the pair just north of west.
PAUL
You’ll need to go outside a little after 9:00 PM just after it gets dark enough to see the pair clearly.
RACHEL
The moon is almost directly west and it’s just two days old.
PAUL
That means it’s a thin crescent, so it might be easier to find the pair with binoculars.
RACHEL
Don’t go searching for the moon with binoculars until after the sun sets.
PAUL
Two very attractive star clusters appear above the moon on the evening of the 9th.
RACHEL
The first is the Pleiades and it’s the little dipper-shaped grouping of stars located to the upper right of the moon.
PAUL
The second is the Hyades and it is a much larger and sparser cluster than the Pleiades.
RACHEL
The Hyades is a V-shaped cluster of stars appearing to the upper left of the moon.
PAUL
The star cluster will fill nearly the entire field of view of your binoculars, so it’s not quite as sparkly as the tinier Pleiades.
RACHEL
Through binoculars, you’ll see around two dozen stars in each star cluster.
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the first week of April. Next week the Beehive star cluster and the moon will meet up, so we’ll tell you the best way to see the cluster’s multitude of stars.
RACHEL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.
For Idaho Skies this is Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.
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