Transcript: September 27th to October 3rd

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

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
Idahoans get to watch the last half of a total lunar eclipse on the night of the 27th.

PAUL
As the moon rises at 9:00 PM, it will be in the middle of its eclipse.

RACHEL
And the moon will remain within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, or the umbra, until 9:23.

PAUL
After that, you should begin to see the edge of the moon slowly beginning to brighten.

RACHEL
The moon starts leaving the outermost edge of Earth’s shadow, which is called the penumbra at 10:27.

PAUL
That means the eclipse will become pretty much unnoticeable by 11:00 PM.

RACHEL
This month’s lunar eclipse is special for several reasons.

PAUL
First of all, this is the Harvest Moon or the first full moon after the autumnal equinox.

RACHEL
We associate the Harvest moon with pumpkins, so seeing a coppery red lunar eclipse is very fitting.

PAUL
The second reason this lunar eclipse is special is because it’s the closest full moon to Earth for 2015.

RACHEL
That means the moon will appear larger and brighter than on average.

PAUL
So grab a lawn chair and a pair of binoculars as the sun sets on the 27th.

RACHEL
Have you ever wanted to learn how to locate Aries the Ram?

PAUL
Then let the moon be your guide on the night of the 29th.

RACHEL
Aries will appear above the moon as three stars arranged in a slight curve.

PAUL
The brightest star of Aries is called Hamal and it’s an orange giant star 66 light years away from Earth.

RACHEL
Some 2,000 years ago, the star nearly marked the location where the sun appeared on the first day of spring.

PAUL
Or the Vernal Equinox.

RACHEL
Because Earth wobbles on its axis like a top, the Vernal Equinox now occurs one constellation over in Pisces the Fishes.

PAUL
In another 24,000 years, the Vernal Equinox will occur once again in Aries the Ram.

RACHEL
If you can stay up until after 11:00 PM, then you’ll find the moon near two bright star clusters, the Pleiades and the Hyades on the 30th.

PAUL
Both are excellent objects for your binoculars, which will let you see a couple of dozen stars in each, as opposed to half a dozen or so you can see with just your eyes.

RACHEL
Things get even more interesting on the night of the 1st.

PAUL
That’s when you’ll find the moon passing through the Hyades star cluster.

RACHEL
So get your binoculars out.

PAUL
The whole scene, the stars of the Hyades and the moon will fit comfortably within your binoculars.

RACHEL
This might also be a good target for your digital camera if it can remain opened for a few seconds.

PAUL
If you attempt to photograph the passage of the moon through the Hyades, then use a tripod to keep your camera rock steady for several seconds during the exposure.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the last week of September. Next week four morning planets will attract our attention.

PAUL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at Idaho Skies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.

For Idaho Skies this is Paul...

RACHEL
...and Rachel.

PAUL
Dark skies and bright stars.