Transcript for December 5th and 6th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for December 5th and 6th. We’re your hosts, Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
Hey, Neptune is going to be much easier to find on the night of the 6th.

PAUL
That’s because the moon is very close to the planet that night.

RACHEL
In fact, the nearly first quarter moon is only 2 degrees away from Neptune.

PAUL
Stargazers will recall that the field of view of binoculars is five degrees.

RACHEL
So to find Neptune, stargazers need to aim their binoculars at the moon.

PAUL
And then look a bright star just above and left of the moon.

RACHEL
There are two fainter stars forming a slightly bent line to the right of this star.

PAUL
The rightmost star in that bent line is Neptune.

RACHEL
You’ll know its Neptune because it appears brighter than the star in the middle.

PAUL
Another way to confirm you’re looking at Neptune is to put the moon in the center left of your binoculars.

RACHEL
Then Neptune will appear in the center right.

PAUL
Stargazers will find a helpful star chart on the Idaho Skies blog and Twitter account.

RACHEL
After viewing Neptune, put down your binoculars and tell me what you see.

PAUL
Why it’s a bright star way below the moon and near the horizon.

RACHEL
Yep, and the star’s name is Fomalhaut.

PAUL
It’s the brightest star in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus, or the Southern Fish.

RACHEL
Astronomers know it’s a relatively young star because it’s still surrounded in a disk of dust and gas.

PAUL
That’s the dust and gas that the star formed from and what appears to be forming planets now.

RACHEL
The dust is easy to see because Fomalhaut is only 25 light years away from the solar system.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 4th and 5th of December.

RACHEL
Be sure to read our blog at idahoskies.blogspot.com for additional information.

For Idaho Skies this is Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.