Idaho Skies Transcript for April 3rd and 4th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for April 3rd and 4th. We’re your hosts, Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
The moon reaches the first quarter phase on the 3rd.

PAUL
This means the 3rd is among the best nights this month to go on a lunar safari.

RACHEL
Even better, all it takes is a pair of binoculars.

PAUL
Stargazers will notice that the southern hemisphere of the moon is packed with craters.

RACHEL
There are so many craters in fact, that if a new meteoroid struck the moon, it would not increase the number of lunar craters.

PAUL
That’s because the number of new craters created would obliterate the same number of old craters.

RACHEL
The Beehive is a wonderfully attractive star cluster that the ancients were familiar with.

PAUL
Of course, they didn’t realize it was a star cluster.

RACHEL
That’s right. To them, it was a fuzzy spot in the dark skies of antiquity.

PAUL
However, it only takes a pair of binoculars to see the true nature of this fuzzy cloud.

RACHEL
The only difficulty for stargazers is actually finding the Beehive star cluster, since it doesn’t appear near any bright stars.

PAUL
Fortunately, the moon is only six degrees away from the cluster on the might of the 4th.

RACHEL
So point your binoculars at the moon and then shift them until of the moon is in the lower right of your view.

PAUL
A smattering of stars will then appear in the upper left.

RACHEL
Your binoculars will show around two dozen stars in a tiny region of the sky.

PAUL
And it won’t be difficult to picture them as a swarm of bees around their hive.

RACHEL
Now that you know where the Beehive is located, see if you can locate it in dark skies without optical aid.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 3rd and 4th of April.

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.