Idaho Skies Transcript for November 3rd, 4th, and 5th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for November 3rd, 4th, and 5th. We’re your hosts, Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
Venus appears next to the star Spica on the morning of the 3rd.

PAUL
To find Venus and Spica, look in the low east at around 6:00 AM.

RACHEL
Venus will be brilliant, so you can’t miss seeing it.

PAUL
Spica will be the fainter star to the right of Venus.

RACHEL
The two have nearly the same color, but dramatically different brightness.

PAUL
Astronomers call the brightness of an astronomical object its magnitude.

RACHEL
In astronomical terms, Venus is magnitude negative four and Spica is only magnitude one.

PAUL
So you can see that brighter stars as having a lower or more negative magnitude than fainter stars.

RACHEL
Over the next two nights, the moon drifts across the Hyades star cluster.

PAUL
And on the 5th, it passes so close to the star Aldebaran that you might need binoculars to separate it from the moon’s glare.

RACHEL
The Hyades appears as a large star cluster in our sky.

PAUL
But it’s not packed as densely with stars as some other star clusters.

RACHEL
Stargazers can usually detect about two dozen stars in this star cluster through binoculars.

PAUL
While you have your binoculars out, take a peek at the moon on the 9th.

RACHEL
You’ll see Aldebaran a little to the right of the moon.

PAUL
Unfortunately, the moon has already passed its closest to the moon.

RACHEL
So the distance between the moon and Aldebaran will only increase though out the night.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of November.

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.