Idaho Skies Transcript for January 29th and 30th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for January 29th and 30th. We’re your hosts, Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
One of the finest star clusters visible from Idaho is the Beehive star cluster.

PAUL
This star cluster is bright enough, that in dark skies, it appears as a hazy patched next to two stars in Cancer the Crab.

RACHEL
You’ll find this star cluster a mere three degrees left of the moon the 30th.

PAUL
So place the moon in the right edge of your binoculars.

RACHEL
Then the star cluster will appear as sprinkle of stars in the center of your binoculars.

PAUL
That sprinkle of 20 or so stars will appear as large as the moon, so it’s difficult to miss.

RACHEL
Star clusters like the Beehive are born inside of nebulae, or cloud of dust and gas spanning light years.

PAUL
Unless a nebula is very massive, it won’t collapse on its own.

RACHEL
So a smaller nebula needs some sort of gravitational disturbance to make it collapse.

PAUL
That event could be something like a passing star...

RACHEL
...a nearby supernova explosion...

PAUL
...or even the collision of its parent galaxy with another galaxy.

RACHEL
Once the cloud begins its collapse, its internal gas pressure can no longer support its increasing density.

PAUL
And so, the cloud breaks up into a multitude of shrinking gas bubbles that grow hotter as they get smaller.

RACHEL
The shrinking bubbles eventually reach a point where the majority of their mass is less than a million miles across.

PAUL
Then depending on its total mass, the cloud’s core will grow hot enough to fuse hydrogen.

RACHEL
And then, a star is born.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 29th and 30th of January.

RACHEL
Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies.blogspot.com.


For Idaho Skies this is Rachel...

PAUL
...and Pauel.

RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.