Idaho Skies Transcript for February 9th, 10th, and 11th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for February 9th, 10th, and 11th. We’re your hosts, Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
Mars is the orangish star to the moon’s right on the morning of the 9th at 5 AM.

PAUL
But don’t mistake Mars for the slightly brighter Antares, which is the star below Mars.

RACHEL
Antares is a red giant star that’s 550 light years away.

PAUL
The name Antares is Greek for Rival of Ares, or the Greek god of war.

RACHEL
Which is the Roman version we call Mars.

PAUL
The distinctive tint of Antares is similar to that of Mars.

RACHEL
This explains how Antares got its name; it looks a lot like Mars.

PAUL
And Mars just happens to be the planet passing close to Antares this winter.

RACHEL
Did you know that Antares is only 11 million years old?

PAUL
Wait, it’s a red giant. So Antares is nearing the end of its life in only 11 million years?

RACHEL
Yep. That’s because Antares has a mass 12 times greater than the sun’s.

PAUL
Its greater mass puts the squeeze on its hydrogen core.

RACHEL
The heavier mass creates enough heat and pressure to fuse the hydrogen in its core more rapidly than the sun.

PAUL
So Antares is really living in the fast lane.

RACHEL
On the morning of the 11th, you’ll see a pale yellow star below the moon.

PAUL
That star is Saturn and you should notice that it doesn’t twinkle like the other stars.

RACHEL
To see the planet’s rings, you’ll need a telescope.

PAUL
If you have one, then go outside at around 6:00 AM to enjoy the ringed wonder of the solar system.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 9th, 10th, and 11th of February.

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.