Idaho Skies Transcript for December 22nd, 23rd, and 24th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for December 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. We’re your hosts, Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
The moon finally reappears this week.

PAUL
So stargazers will find a very thin crescent in the low southwest after it get dark, or at around 7:00 PM.

RACHEL
They’ll probably notice a faint illumination on the darken left side of the moon.

PAUL
That’s earthshine, or sunlight illuminating the dark portion of the moon after bouncing off of the reflective Earth.

RACHEL
Earthshine is bright enough that in binoculars, stargazers can see some of the lunar markings.

PAUL
It’s best to use binoculars because their large lens can gather more light that our eyes.

RACHEL
Hey early rises, be sure to look in the southeast on the 23rd.

PAUL
At around 6:00 AM you’ll see bright Jupiter.

RACHEL
More importantly, there’s a star just to the lower right of Jupiter.

PAUL
And it’s close, so you might want binoculars to get a better view.

RACHEL
That star is Zubenelgenubi, a widely spaced double star.

PAUL
Since the spacing between Jupiter and Zubenelgenubi is only ¾ of a degree, they fit very nicely within binoculars.

RACHEL
Both Jupiter and Zubenelgenubi have something to offer binocular users.

PAUL
Jupiter sports its largest satellite, Ganymede just above the planet.

RACHEL
And Zubenelgenubi splits into two closely spaced stars.

PAUL
Stargazers will find that the relative angle and spacing between Jupiter and Ganymede and between the two components of Zubenelgenubi are nearly identical.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of December.

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.