Transcript for December 7 - 13

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

RACHEL
...and Rachel.

PAUL
The constellation of Gemini the Twins consist of two rows of stars

RACHEL
The two rows of stars are horizontal in the eastern sky during December evenings, but become more vertical at around midnight.

PAUL
You can locate Gemini on the 7th by looking for the two rows of stars located to the moon’s left.

RACHEL
One row is higher than the moon and the other is lower.

PAUL
The two bright stars at the left end of the row of stars are named Castor and Pollux.

RACHEL
You can tell the difference between them because Pollux is slightly brighter than Castor.

PAUL
In Greek mythology, Castor was the mortal twin and Pollux his immortal brother.

RACHEL
The light of Pollux left 34 years ago, so if you’re 34 this year, Pollux is your birthday star.

PAUL
And Castor is the birthday star of everyone 51 years old.

RACHEL
New Horizons is scheduled to wake up from its hibernation on the 7th.

PAUL
New Horizons is an American spacecraft bound for Pluto.

RACHEL
The spacecraft’s closest approach to Pluto occurs on July 14th next year.

PAUL
This will be the first time humans have ever been able to see Pluto as more than just a few pixels or a faint smudge.

RACHEL
And who knows what we’ll discover, perhaps geysers of liquid nitrogen.

PAUL
The eighth brightest star in the sky is located to the moon’s right on the night of the 9th.

RACHEL
The star’s name is Procyon and it’s the alpha star of the constellation Canis Minor, the Little Dog.

PAUL
Procyon is so bright because it’s only 12 light years away from the solar system.

RACHEL
Hey, where’s Jupiter?

PAUL
Why it’s above the moon late on the evening of the 11th.

RACHEL
Through a good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope, you’re likely to see all four of its Galilean satellites.

PAUL
Starting from the bottom and going up, the moons are Ganymede, Europa, and Io.

RACHEL
Jupiter is next and through a spotting scope or small telescope, it will show a disk.

PAUL
Above Jupiter is Callisto.

RACHEL
You may have difficulty splitting Io and Europa in binoculars, but not through a spotting scope.

PAUL
Don’t forget that through an astronomical telescope, the order of the satellites is backwards.

RACHEL
One of the year’s best meteor showers peaks on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th.

PAUL
Normally the Geminid meteor shower does not disappoint with its plentiful number of yellowish meteors.

RACHEL
In fact, when viewed from dark skies, you can expect to see more than a meteor per minute on average.

PAUL
Unfortunately, this week the moon is a waxing gibbous.

RACHEL
Therefore, its large and bright surface will wash out many of the fainter members of the shower.

PAUL
If you have some time and the inclination, dress warmly and spend a little time observing this shower.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of December. Next week we’ll tell you how you can observe Saturn’s rings.

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.