Transcript for April 5 - 11

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

RACHEL
...and Rachel.

PAUL
Looking for Saturn?

RACHEL
Then look no further than the moon on the morning of the 8th.

PAUL
Saturn is the cream-colored star below the moon.

RACHEL
Saturn shows its rings through a small telescope or spotting scope.

PAUL
But not in most binoculars.

RACHEL
A magnification of as little as 25 power is enough to see its rings and brightest satellite, Titan.

PAUL
In a telescope, Titan will appear as the star to the upper right of Saturn.

RACHEL
Titan is a wonderful satellite by itself.

PAUL
It’s 50% larger than Earth’s moon.

RACHEL
And it has an atmosphere 50% greater than Earth’s atmosphere.

PAUL
Below its icy surface may be a deep liquid ocean.

RACHEL
Jupiter is approaching the Beehive star cluster because it’s retrograding.

PAUL
Retrograding? What’s that, some kind of 70’s fashion?

RACHEL
Retrograde motion occurs when Earth’s motion begins to overtake the orbital motion of a more distant planet like Jupiter.

PAUL
So during retrograde, outer planets travel from east to west across the sky, rather then the normal west to east.

RACHEL
On the evening of the 8th, Jupiter reaches the end of its retrograde motion and is at its closest to the Beehive star cluster.

PAUL
The pair is so close together that you can see both at the same time in binoculars.

RACHEL
If you point your binoculars at Jupiter on the 8th, place it on the left edge of your binocular’s view.

PAUL
That way the Beehive star cluster will pop out on the right side.

RACHEL
Then take a closer look at Jupiter to see largest satellite, Ganymede on the right side of Jupiter.

PAUL
When you see Ganymede, you’re looking at the largest satellite in the solar system.

RACHEL
It’s a giant moon that’s larger than the planet Mercury.

PAUL
And as the Hubble Space Telescope recently discovered, it most likely contains a vast ocean beneath its icy exterior.

RACHEL
In fact, there may be more liquid water beneath Ganymede than on Earth.

PAUL
Venus is climbing higher above the horizon every night while the Pleiades star cluster is descending lower.

RACHEL
The two meet up on the evenings of the 10th and 11th when they will be less than three degrees apart

PAUL
That puts them so close together that you can enjoy both at the same time in a pair of binoculars.

RACHEL
The Pleiades are located to the upper right of Venus.

PAUL
Look for the pair in the low west at around 9:30 PM.

RACHEL
You won’t be able to miss brilliant Venus.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of April. Next week we celebrate a space-age anniversary that took place 54 years ago.

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.