Transcript for May 1st to 7th

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

PAUL
…and Paul.

RACHEL
The moon is new on the 6th.

PAUL
That means it’s been approaching closer to the sun for the last two weeks.

RACHEL
When the moon is approaching the sun, its phase gets smaller.

PAUL
Or more crescent shaped

RACHEL
And this means the far side of the moon is becoming more illuminated.

PAUL
When the moon’s phase gets smaller each day, we call it a waning moon.

RACHEL
That’s the opposite of when the moon is getting farther from the sun each day.

PAUL
Then the moon’s phase gets larger each day.

RACHEL
And we call this a waxing moon.

PAUL
Because the moon is new on the 6th, the waning crescent moon is visible in the low east before sunrise on the 2nd and 3rd.

RACHEL
If you leave for work before sunrise on those days, then take the opportunity to look at the moon and Earthshine illuminating its right side.

PAUL
You’ll need to make this observation by around 4:45 AM.

RACHEL
Because much later and the light of dawn will wash out Earthshine.
PAUL
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on the night of the 6th and morning of the 7th.

RACHEL
That’s awesome since that’s a Friday night and Saturday morning.

PAUL
This shower produces up to 30 meteors per hour in dark skies.

RACHEL
Unfortunately, you live in Idaho.

PAUL
And Aquarius is a constellation located south of he equator.

RACHEL
And since you’re an inhabitant of the Northern hemisphere, you’ll see fewer meteors per hour.

PAUL
However, it’s still worth observing this shower.

RACHEL
That’s because the nights are getting warmer and the moon is new.

PAUL
So you’ll have more comfortable nights and darker skies.

RACHEL
There’s no need to watch this shower all night, however.

PAUL
Because the radiant point of this shower doesn’t rise until after 3:00 AM.

RACHEL
All Eta Aquarid meteors will appear to originate from a point in the sky located in the low east.

PAUL
This point is called the meteor shower’s radiant.

RACHEL
The radiant’s exact position depends on when the meteor stream intersects Earth’s orbit.

PAUL
And the constellation in which the radiant occurs is usually the meteor shower’s name.

RACHEL
There’s more than one meteor shower that originates in the constellation of Aquarius, so the Eta Aquarids are also given the name of the star they originate near.

PAUL
Be sure to appreciate each meteor you see.

RACHEL
That’s because each meteor streaking across the sky is vaporizing from the heat of its entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

PAUL
And as a result, each glowing meteor is giving up its existence in order for you to enjoy it.

RACHEL
So sad.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the first week of May. Next week the planet Mercury crosses the face of the sun.

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.