Welcome to Idaho Skies for the first week of February. We’re your hosts, Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
After it gets dark on the 2nd, look for the Beehive star cluster to the moon’s left.
PAUL
The Beehive is among the largest of the star clusters and is located just beyond a binocular’s field of view from the moon.
RACHEL
That means you need to place the moon just outside the right side of your binoculars.
PAUL
Then the star cluster will appear on the very left edge of your field of view.
RACHEL
And the cluster is nice in binoculars and appears three times larger than the moon appears.
PAUL
Did you know you can see this cluster in dark skies, like those found outside of town?
RACHEL
It appears as a faint fuzzy cloud.
PAUL
The ancient Greek astronomer Aratus could see it and named it the Little Mist back in 270 BC.
RACHEL
Hey, what’s that bright star to the left of the moon on the 3rd?
PAUL
It’s not a star, it’s the planet Jupiter.
RACHEL
You should notice that Jupiter has a slightly off-white tint.
PAUL
And that it will resist twinkling unlike its surrounding stars.
RACHEL
Jupiter is even larger and brighter this week than on average.
PAUL
Why is that?
RACHEL
That’s because Jupiter reaches opposition on the 6th.
PAUL
Oh, that’s when Jupiter is located opposite the sun in our sky.
RACHEL
That’s right and it means that Jupiter is its closest to Earth.
PAUL
So as a consequence, Jupiter is larger and brighter than average.
RACHEL
If you have any sort of optical aid, even a pair of binoculars, then aim it at Jupiter.
PAUL
You’ll see two stars forming a straight line with Jupiter, and Jupiter in the middle.
RACHEL
In your binoculars, the bottom star is Callisto and the top star is Ganymede.
PAUL
Ganymede is the largest satellite in the solar system.
RACHEL
Would you be surprised to hear that it’s even larger than the planet Mercury?
PAUL
That’s right; our solar system has a moon that’s larger than a planet.
RACHEL
The yellowish star to the moon’s left on the 4th is Regulus.
PAUL
Regulus is the brightest star of Leo and Lion and it represents the lion’s heart.
RACHEL
The star forms the bottom of a backwards question mark of six stars.
PAUL
You should be able to see these stars as long as you’re not in downtown Boise.
RACHEL
The question mark pattern of stars above Regulus represents the back of Leo’s head and his mane.
PAUL
The rest of Leo is a triangle of three stars located a short distance to the east.
RACHEL
Star maps illustrate Leo setting like the Great Sphinx of Egypt.
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the first week of February. Next week we’ll talk about the brightest star in the sky.
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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