Transcript for March 1 - 7

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

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
Hey, do you want to find Jupiter?

PAUL
Then look no farther than the moon because it approaches Jupiter on the night of the 2nd.

RACHEL
But Jupiter’s not the only astronomical treat near the moon.

PAUL
In dark skies, you will notice a small fuzzy cloud twice as far away for the moon as Jupiter.

RACHEL
But slightly more to the right than Jupiter.

PAUL
The ancients only knew of it as a small cloud or nebula.

RACHEL
It wasn’t until Galileo turned a telescope heavenward, that we learned the true nature of this astronomical cloud.

PAUL
That’s because Galileo discovered that it was actually a cluster of stars.

RACHEL
So get your binoculars out and discover the Beehive star cluster just like Galileo did.

PAUL
The brightest star in the west this month is Venus.

RACHEL
If you aim your binoculars at Venus around 8:30 PM on the 3rd, you’ll be able to see two more
planets.

PAUL
To find them, place Venus a bit above the center of your binocular’s field of view.

RACHEL
To the lower right of Venus you’ll see the second brightest star in the low west, Mars.

PAUL
After that, direct your attention to a much fainter star that’s just above Venus.

RACHEL
That’s Uranus, the 7th planet of our solar system.

PAUL
All three planets are located on the other side of the solar system.

RACHEL
Mars is about twice the distance away from Earth as is Venus.

PAUL
...and Uranus is 15 times farther away.

RACHEL
That distance is the major reason why giant Uranus appears so faint.

PAUL
Overhead on the 3rd, you’ll find the moon close to the brightest star of Leo the Lion.

RACHEL
The star’s name is Regulus, which means little king.

PAUL
It’s an appropriate name for the brightest star of a constellation representing the king of beasts.

RACHEL
Did you know that Regulus is related to royalty?

PAUL
Yep, it’s one of the four Royal Stars of ancient Persia.

RACHEL
These four bright stars are more or less spaced equally around the sky.

PAUL
And each is associated with a particular equinox or solstice.

RACHEL
The three other royal stars are Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull...

PAUL
...Fomalhaut in Pisces Austrinus, the Southern Fish...

RACHEL
...and Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion.

PAUL
On the 6th, the moon passes the second brightest star in Leo the Lion.

RACHEL
The star is called Denebola, which means tail of the lion.

PAUL
The moon and Denebola form a flat triangle with a large star cluster called Melotte-111.

RACHEL
This star cluster fills binoculars with stars and forms a large portion of the constellation of Coma Berenices.

PAUL
Hey, that’s the Hair of Berenice, the queen of Alexandria Egypt.

RACHEL
That’s right. Originally, the Hair of Berenice was the tuft at the end of Leo’s tail.

PAUL
But that was changed in 240 BC by an astronomer of King Ptolemy the 3rd of Alexandria.

RACHEL
In your binoculars, this cluster appears large and spread out.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the first week of March. Next week we’ll tell you how observing the moon pass in front of a star tells astronomers that the moon has no atmosphere. 

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.