Idaho Skies Transcript for April 25th and 26th

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for April 25th and 26th. We’re your hosts, Paul...

RACHEL
...and Rachel.

PAUL
The moon passed close to Regulus back on the night of the 24th.

RACHEL
That means its passing below the constellation of Leo the Lion for the next two days.

PAUL
So on the 25th, you’ll see the hindquarters of Leo above the moon.

RACHEL
Leo’s head and mane is the backwards question mark of stars located on the moon’s upper right.

PAUL
His hindquarters are represented by that triangle of stars at the moon’s upper left.

RACHEL
The star at the east end of the triangle is called Denebola, which means tail.

PAUL
Did you know Leo use to have a tufted tail and not just a single star?

RACHEL
His old tail is now a separate constellation called Coma Berenices.

PAUL
Stargazers can find Leo’s old tail if they search northeast of Denebola with their binoculars.

RACHEL
You’ll know you have it when you see a triangle shaped group of stars that fills your binoculars’ view.

PAUL
The tail is actually a star cluster called Melotte-111, after the astronomer who cataloged it.

RACHEL
And it’s informally named the Coma Star Cluster.

PAUL
Your binoculars will show you several dozen stars in this cluster.

RACHEL
But since they’re spread out across your binoculars, the star cluster won’t have the sparkle of the Pleiades.

PAUL
The Coma Star Cluster is 280 light years away, so the light you see tonight left in 1738.

RACHEL
Astronomers estimate the stars in this cluster were born 450 million years old.

PAUL
Fish dominated Earth’s oceans and there was no significant life forms on land when the stars of the Coma Star Cluster formed.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 25th and 26th of April.

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.