Idaho Skies transcript for February 12th and 13th

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for February 12th and 13th. We’re your hosts, Paul...

RACHEL
...and Rachel.

PAUL
The 14th marks the 28th anniversary of the first solar system portrait.

RACHEL
It was a recommendation by Astronomer Carl Sagan that a Voyager spacecraft take a photograph of the solar system.

PAUL
This would be unique perspective since the Voyagers were on the outskirts of the solar system.

RACHEL
And it would be the same view that a visiting starship would have of our solar system.

PAUL
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory finally agreed and selected Voyager 1 to take the picture.

RACHEL
It was actually 60 images, since from four billion miles away the solar system still spans more than a single picture.

PAUL
We find that the sun is still incredibly bright four billion miles away.

RACHEL
Sadly though, not all planets made it into this portrait.

PAUL
Because Mercury was too close to the sun’s glare...

RACHEL
...and Mars was too small and faint.

PAUL
By the way, Pluto doesn’t show up either, but it’s not a planet any how.

RACHEL
Earth appears as a pale blue dot, as Carl Sagan later described it in his 1994 book.

PAUL
And this pale blue dot just happened to lie on a beam of sunlight that result of solar glare.

RACHEL
Sagan reminds us that all the people of Earth and all their history resides on that single pale blue dot.

PAUL
So it’s a picture of all the people of Earth and their history in a single pale blue dot set in the vast blackness of the universe.

RACHEL
This is a powerful reminder that all the differences that keep us apart are very indeed tiny.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 12th and 13th of February.

RACHEL
Be sure to follow us on Twitter @IdahoSkies for this week’s event reminders and sky maps.

For Idaho Skies this is Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.