Transcript for March 10-16

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the second week of March. We’re your hosts, Rachel…

PAUL
…and Paul.

RACHEL
The moon is new just after noon on the 11th.

PAUL
If you have a very clear and flat western horizon, try looking for the young crescent moon with your binoculars on the evening of the 12th.

RACHEL
If you can find it, the moon will only be 30 hours old.

PAUL
Thirty hours is very young. Most people don’t see the moon until its more than 48 hours old.

RACHEL
You’ll have to work quickly though. The sky starts getting dark by 7:30 and the moon sets at 8:00 PM.

PAUL
That gives you 30 minutes to search for the thin crescent moon in less than ideal skies.

RACHEL
The Faulkner Planetarium has several new shows this month.

PAUL
One show is called Two Small Pieces of Glass. It shows on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:00 PM.

RACHEL
The show tells the story of the telescope, beginning with the first spy glass Galileo turned toward the heavens in 1609.

PAUL
A second new show at the Faulkner is called the Dinosaur Chronicles.

RACHEL
Until the Cretaceous ended with a meteor impact 66 million years ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth.

PAUL
You’ll hear about what Earth might be like today had they not gone extinct.

RACHEL
The Dinosaur Chronicles plays on Saturdays in March at 2 PM.

PAUL
Don’t forget the planetarium show at BYU Idaho on the 14th.

RACHEL
Doors open at 6:30 in room 107 of the Romney Science Building.

PAUL
Beware of the Ides of March.

RACHEL
As some of our listeners know, Ides is a term from the old Roman calendar.

PAUL
The Romans’ first calendar was a lunar calendar based on the phases of the moon.

RACHEL
The lunar month began on the day of the new moon and the Romans called that day, Kalendae.

PAUL
This is where we get our word calendar.

RACHEL
That’s right. And when the Romans replaced their lunar calendar with one based on the solar year, Kalendae became the first day of the month.

PAUL
The Romans called the day of the first quarter moon Nonae. In the solar calendar, this became the name of the 7th day of the month.

RACHEL
The last named day of the lunar month occurred on the day of the full moon.

PAUL
The Romans called this day Idus or Ides.

RACHEL
In the solar calendar, this became the name of the 15th day of any month.

PAUL
Ever since Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15th in the year 44 BC we’ve been told to beware the Ides of March.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of March. Did you know Earth is slightly pear-shaped? Hear about this discovery and when the moon will lead you to several star clusters.

PAUL
Follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.

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.