Idaho Skies Transcript for the weekend of February 14th

STEPHEN

Welcome to Idaho Skies for the weekend of February 14^th. We’re your hosts, Stephen…

DAN

…and Dan.

STEPHEN

The moon reaches the third quarter phase this weekend, so it’s a perfect time to go moon gazing with your binoculars. The only problem is that you need to go outside after midnight to see it. But hey, it’s a weekend, so no problem. Observing the moon however will more convenient for listeners who get up before sunrise.

DAN

At third quarter, we’re able to see the moon’s western hemisphere. This hemisphere contains the moon’s largest feature, the Ocean of Storms. The Ocean of Storms is that lunar sea covering most of its western edge. Its 1,600 miles from the north to the south, or nearly the same height as the continental United States. 

STEPHEN

On the morning of the 15^th, the last quarter moon appears next to a star in Libra the Scales named Zubenelgenubi. This funny sounding name means the Southern Claw. The name doesn’t make sense for a constellation representing a set of scales for weighing objects. However, the star originally belonged to Scorpius the Scorpion. 

DAN

Most stars, like Zubenelgenubi are multiple stars, or stars in orbit around each other. However, it’s a special double star. That’s because its stars are so different (distant) from each other and the pair is so close to the solar system. This combination makes the pair appear farther apart than most double stars. So aim your binoculars at the star to the moon’s right and see if you see double.    

STEPHEN

That’s Idaho Skies for the weekend of February 14^th.   

DAN

Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies.blogspot.com.

For Idaho Skies this is Dan…

STEPHEN

…and Stephen.

DAN

Dark skies and bright stars.

Idaho Skies Transcript for the week of February 10th

PAUL

Welcome to Idaho Skies for the week of February 10^th. We’re your hosts, Paul…

STEPHEN

…and Stephen.

PAUL

Tiny Mercury makes an appearance this week. Few people have seen this elusive planet because it never appears very far above the horizon. This week however, the planet reaches its highest elevation above the western horizon. The planet can be quite bright, so it’s not difficult to see, if you know where to look.   

STEPHEN

Use Venus as your guide. Go outside at 7:00 PM and look for Venus, or the Evening Star. It’s the brightest object in the west-southwest, so you can’t miss it. Mercury, which is closer to the sun, is located to the lower right of Venus. Mercury is the only object appearing below Venus and at a point due west above the horizon.  

PAUL

Mercury is a small rocky world with a diameter of 3,000 miles. That makes it a bit larger than the moon and less than half the size of the Earth. Without an atmosphere, the surface of Mercury is pummeled with meteoroids. Its surface is so cratered than it easy to mistake Mercury for the moon. 

STEPHEN

Mercury was first visited by the Mariner 10 spacecraft in 1974. The 1,000-pound spacecraft didn’t carry enough propellant to slow down. That means Mariner 10 flew past Mercury collecting data and pictures. However, Mariner 10 was in orbit around the sun, so the spacecraft was able to visit Mercury two additional times.

PAUL

That’s Idaho Skies for the week of February 10^th.  

STEPHEN

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @IdahoSkies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.

For Idaho Skies this is Stephen…

PAUL

…and Paul.

STEPHEN

Dark skies and bright stars.

Idaho Skies Transcript for the weekend of February 7th

BENJAMIN

Welcome to Idaho Skies for the weekend of February 7^th. We’re your hosts, Benjamin…

PAUL

…and Paul.

BENJAMIN

On the last show, we talked about globular star clusters. This week, the moon passes close to a galactic star cluster and we think listeners should observe it. So let’s talk about these star clusters and how to see a nice one this week. Imagine before the invention of the telescope, when people only saw a small and fuzzy cloud in (the) Cancer the Crab.  

PAUL

This nebula was called the Praesepe. It was pictured as a manager holding hay for two donkeys. In this story, the donkeys were represented by the two faint stars next to the nebula. Until Galileo observed this fuzzy patch with his telescope, that’s all the ancients knew of it. When Galileo aimed a telescope at it, he counted over 40 stars inside of this cluster.      

BENJAMIN

Galileo’s telescope was too small to see the over 1,000 stars making up the Praesepe. He also didn’t know that the stars in the Praesepe formed together from the same cloud of dust and gas some 650 million years ago. Because of its large size and low density, the stars of the Praesepe cluster will eventually escape the cluster.       

PAUL

You still have lots of time to see this cluster, however. So aim your binoculars at the moon on the 8^th after it rises well above the eastern horizon. If the moon is at the top of your view, then the Praesepe will be located just beneath the center of your view. Once you see this cluster through binoculars, you’ll realize why it’s now called the Beehive star cluster.   

BENJAMIN

That’s Idaho Skies for the weekend of February 7^th.

PAUL

Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies.blogspot.com.

For Idaho Skies this is Paul…

BENJAMIN

…and Benjamin.

PAUL

Dark skies and bright stars.

Idaho Skies Transcript for the week of February 3rd

DAN

Welcome to Idaho Skies for the week of February 3^rd. We’re your hosts, Dan…

BENJAMIN

…and Benjamin.

DAN

On Monday night, the moon drifts through the edge of the Hyades star cluster. The Hyades is one of the largest star clusters in our sky. Star clusters like this are called galactic star clusters and they formed recently from a cloud of dust and gas. Over time, the dust and gas dissipates and the stars drift apart.

BENJAMIN

Galactic star clusters have the appearance of a random scattering of stars. This is the opposite of another type of star cluster, the globular star cluster. Globulars are spherical in shape and much older than galactics. Sadly, there are no globular star clusters close enough to appear as anything but a fuzzy spot through binoculars.

DAN

If the sun was a member of a globular star cluster, then our night-time sky would be filled with thousands of bright stars. There would be no night, and the sky would always be filled with light. Unfortunately, there may be no planets inside of globular clusters. That’s because of the typical age of globular star clusters.     

BENJAMIN

Globular star clusters are filled with old stars, formed when only hydrogen and helium filled the universe. Over time, these early stars fused elements into heavier ones like carbon, oxygen, and iron. But without these heavier elements, planets and even life can’t form. So chances are that no one is enjoying the amazing view inside of a globular cluster.

DAN

That’s Idaho Skies for the week of February 3^rd.   

BEJAMIN

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @IdahoSkies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.

For Idaho Skies this is Benjamin…

DAN

…and Dan.

BENJAMIN

Dark skies and bright stars.