Idaho Skies Transcript for July 14th to 16th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for July 14th, 15th, and 16th. We’re your hosts, Rachel...


PAUL
...and Paul.


RACHEL
The Morning Star is approaching the eastern horizon this month.


PAUL
And on the morning of the 14th, you’ll find Venus passing through the northern edge of the Hyades star cluster.


RACHEL
You won’t need binoculars to observe this spectacle, but they will make it better.


PAUL
So look low east-northeast at about 4:30 AM on the 14th.


RACHEL
The yellowish-orange star to the lower right of Venus is Aldebaran, the brightest star of Taurus the Bull.


PAUL
Seeing Aldebaran and Taurus is a foretaste of the chilly November evenings that will be too soon upon us.


RACHEL
The moon reaches the last quarter, or the third quarter phase on the morning of the 16th.


PAUL
At third quarter, the moon is half full.


RACHEL
But it’s the half most stargazers don’t spend a lot of time observing through binoculars.


PAUL
This portion is primarily filled with the Oceans of Storms, the largest maria on the moon.


RACHEL
But take a moment to look in the middle of the third quarter moon.


PAUL
There stargazers will see one of the most attractive lunar craters, Copernicus.


RACHEL
The crater is 57 miles across and over two miles deep.


PAUL
Notice that a crater this size is not bowl shaped.


RACHEL
That’s right. Large craters have flat bottoms with hummocky peaks.


PAUL
And the rims of large craters are ringed in terraces due to landslides.


RACHEL
If the Apollo program had landed another three spacecraft, NASA was planning to land Apollo 20 inside this crater.


PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 14th, 15th, and 16th of July.


RACHEL
Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies.blogspot.com.
For Idaho Skies this is Rachel...


PAUL
...and Paul.


RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.