Idaho Skies Transcript for October 11th to 17th

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

RACHEL
...and Rachel.

PAUL
Jupiter is passing Mars the second week of October.

RACHEL
If you want to watch Jupiter as it sails pass Mars over the next few days, then check out the eastern horizon after 5:00 AM.

PAUL
And before 7:00 AM when the light of twilight begins to interfere.

RACHEL
The moon reappears in the night sky on the evening by the 16th.

PAUL
If you look in the low southwest at 8:30 PM, you’ll see a crescent moon just a little above Saturn.

RACHEL
Binoculars won’t show much detail on the moon yet, since it’s still a pretty thin crescent.

PAUL
However, you’ll probably see Earthshine illuminating the dark portion of the moon.

RACHEL
A small telescope or spotting scope will show the rings of Saturn and its largest moon, Titan.

PAUL
Currently the spacecraft Cassini is in orbit around Saturn.

RACHEL
Unfortunately, its supply of propellant is nearing empty.

PAUL
Without propellant, the spacecraft can’t adjust its orbit, even using the gravity of the Saturnian moons.

RACHEL
Cassini is thrifty with its propellant because it’s been using the gravity of Titan to modify its orbit.

PAUL
In another two years however, Cassini’s propellant tank will be empty.

RACHEL
Then the spacecraft will drift through the Saturnian system, possibly crashing into a potentially habitable moon.

PAUL
It’s possible that there are still some microbes stowing away on Cassini after nearly 20 years in space.

RACHEL
So to prevent them from contaminating Saturn’s satellites Titan and Enceladus, JPL is going to target the spacecraft to dive into Saturn’s atmosphere.

PAUL
There it will safely burn up like a meteor.

RACHEL
Jupiter is at its closest to Mars on the morning of the 17th.

PAUL
Their distance apart is less than ½ of a degree, or a bit smaller than the apparent diameter of the moon.

RACHEL
Their distance apart in space is actually 355 million miles.

PAUL
That’s nearly four times the distance between Earth and the sun.

RACHEL
To see Mars and Jupiter close together, you’ll need to go outside after 4:30 AM.

PAUL
That’s when they’ll rise, so they’ll still be low at that time.

RACHEL
And before 7:00 AM.

PAUL
That’s when the sunlight will begin to brighten the sky.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the second week of October. Next week we’ll discus the Tropic of Capricorn.

 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.