Transcript for April 26 to May 2

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

RACHEL
...and Rachel.

PAUL
Let’s compare two stars that the will moon pass this week.

RACHEL
The first is Regulus.

PAUL
The moon passes just below Regulus on the night of the 27th.

RACHEL
And the second star is Spica.

PAUL
The moon passes just above Spica on the night of May 1st.

RACHEL
Spica appears just a bit brighter than Regulus, but not by much.

PAUL
Astronomers call Regulus and Spica B class stars.

RACHEL
This is the second highest class and therefore second hottest category of stars.

PAUL
Both appear as blue-white stars because of their exceeding high surface temperatures.

RACHEL
And we mean hot, these stars have surface temperatures twice as high as the sun.

PAUL
Cooler stars like the sun generate energy by fusing hydrogen straight into helium.

RACHEL
However, hotter B class stars use carbon and oxygen as a catalyst to fuse their hydrogen into helium.

PAUL
This hotter fusion process is possible because these stars are much more massive than the sun.

RACHEL
Regulus is four times more massive and Spica is ten times more massive.

PAUL
That extra mass and increased fusion rate makes Regulus nearly 300 times brighter than the sun.

RACHEL
And it makes Spica over 10,000 times brighter.

PAUL
The reason Regulus looks nearly equal to much brighter Spica is that Spica is three times farther away from Earth than Regulus.

RACHEL
After you find Spica below the moon on the 1st, turn your attention to a location below and to the right of Spica.

PAUL
You’re looking for a squashed square of four stars.

RACHEL
These stars are a constellation called Corvus.

PAUL
Corvus is a Crow.

RACHEL
It was one of the original 48 constellations described by Ptolemy back in the second century AD.

PAUL
And it’s one of the smallest of the official 88 astronomical constellations.

RACHEL
So how did a crow become a constellation?

PAUL
According one legend, the Greek god Apollo threw a crow into the heavens after it made him angry.

RACHEL
How does a crow make a god angry?

PAUL
By being late returning a cup of water as asked.

RACHEL
In a fit of rage, Apollo threw Corvus and the cup into the heavens.

PAUL
And let that be a lesson for us all.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the last week of April. Join us next month for the space and astronomy events for Idaho.

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.