Idaho Skies Transcript for May 3rd and 4th

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for May 3rd and 4th. We’re your hosts, Paul…

RACHEL
…and Rachel.

BRING DOWN MUSIC

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

RACHEL
The first quarter phase is an excellent phase for stargazers who want to observe the moon through binoculars.

PAUL
They should focus their attention along the terminator or the straight-line boundary between day and night.

RACHEL
This is where the shadows cast by the rising sun are especially long.

PAUL
And since the moon’s terminator faces directly towards Earth, stargazers will see the shadows in their full extend.

RACHEL
And not foreshortened.

PAUL
Stargazers will notice that the southern hemisphere is much richer in craters than the northern hemisphere.

RACHEL
On the other hand, the moon’s Northern hemisphere has more and larger maria, or seas of frozen lava.

PAUL
The maria formed when giant meteoroids impacted the moon nearly four billion years ago.

RACHEL
The impact basins created by the impacts eventually filled with multiple sheets of lava.

PAUL
The layers of lava covered up all the older lunar craters.

RACHEL
And by the time the maria formed, the rate of meteor impacts had decreased significantly.

PAUL
Meaning that there were far fewer meteor impacts after the maria formed.

RACHEL
After viewing the moon, take a moment to look at the moon without binoculars.

PAUL
See that bright star to the moon’s left?

RACHEL
It’s the brightest star of Leo the Lion, or Regulus.

FADE IN MUSIC

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

 RACHEL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter @IdahoSkies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.

For Idaho Skies this is Rachel…

PAUL
…and Paul.

RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.