Idaho Skies Transcript for May 22nd and 23rd

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for May 22nd and 23rd. We’re your hosts, Paul…

RACHEL
…and Rachel.

BRING DOWN MUSIC

PAUL
Venus is the Morning Star this month.

RACHEL
In fact, stargazers can’t miss it as they leave for work in the morning.

PAUL
That’s because it’s the brightest star in the low east.

RACHEL
Nothing else can compare to the brilliance of Venus except for the moon and sun.

PAUL
However, on occasion, Jupiter can outshine Venus for short periods of time.

RACHEL
But Jupiter needs to be at opposition and Venus on the other side of the solar system.

PAUL
What makes Venus so bright, other than the fact that it’s close to the sun and Earth?

RACHEL
After the invention of the telescope, astronomers discovered that Venus was shrouded in a thick blanket of very reflective clouds.

PAUL
Since clouds of water are the only thing humans are familiar with, it was originally assumed that the clouds of Venus were also made of water.

RACHEL
Some astronomers even thought the planet might be tropical.

PAUL
Unfortunately, radio observations of Venus in the 1960s indicated that the planet had a temperature of hundreds of degrees.

RACHEL
And it was the Mariner 2 flyby of 1962 that cinched the case; Venus had an atmospheric temperature of 900 degrees.

PAUL
Later space missions determined its clouds consist of sulfur dioxide and droplets of sulfuric acid.

RACHEL
Those sulfur laden clouds create a very reflective surface.

PAUL
In fact, Venus reflects 75% of the sunlight shining upon it.

RACHEL
Compare this to 30% for Earth and 12% for the moon.

PAUL
So it’s no wonder that Venus appears so bright.

FADE IN MUSIC

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 22nd and 23rd of May.

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…

RCHEL
…and Rachel.

PAUL
Dark skies and bright stars.