Idaho Skies Transcript for April 17th and 18th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for April 17th and 18th. We’re your hosts, Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
Saturn is the gem of the solar system.

PAUL
Unfortunately, stargazers need a telescope or spotting scope to see how wonderful it appears.

RACHEL
But first, stargazers with modest optical aid who want to see Saturn will need to know where it’s located.

PAUL
This is why the moon is your friend on the 17th.

RACHEL
Be warned, Saturn is a morning planet this month.

PAUL
Which means it rises after or near midnight.

RACHEL
So wait until after 3:00 AM when Saturn is well-placed for viewing.

PAUL
Stargazers will notice that the bright star to the moon’s right has a mellow-yellow color and that it does not twinkle.

RACHEL
Stars that do not twinkle are a good sign that the star is actually a planet.

PAUL
And the fact that the star has a pale yellow color to it is a good sign that it’s Saturn.

RACHEL
To see Saturn’s rings and largest satellite, you need a telescope capable of magnifying a minimum of 25 power.

PAUL
The rings will appear to be floating around Saturn’s waist.

RACHEL
And its largest satellite, Titan, will appear as a faint star to Saturn’s lower left.

PAUL
That’s assuming you’re using a telescope that inverts images.

RACHEL
But it’s different for spotting scopes.

PAUL
Since they don’t invert images, Titan will appear as the faint star to Saturn’s upper right.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 17th and 18th of April.

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.