Idaho Skies Transcript for April 30th and May 1st

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for April 30th and May 1st. We’re your hosts, Rachel…

PAUL
…and Paul.

RACHEL
Jupiter and Zubenelgenubi form a line with the nearly full moon on the 30th.

PAUL
You’ll see them at the moon’s lower right, with Jupiter the first, or closest star to the moon.

RACHEL
And the double star Zubenelgenubi is the one farther to the lower right.

PAUL
Both Jupiter and Zubenelgenubi are very suitable targets for stargazers living in town.

RACHEL
So aim your binoculars at Jupiter and you’ll see one fainter star to its left and two to its right.

PAUL
Those fainter stars are actually three of Jupiter’s largest satellites.

RACHEL
On Jupiter’s left is Europa, a water world covered in a thick sheet of ice.

PAUL
And on Jupiter’s right are Ganymede and Callisto.

RACHEL
Fiery Io is even closer to Jupiter than Ganymede, but probably too close to Jupiter’s glare to be visible in your binoculars.

PAUL
Your binoculars will show that there are the two stars of Zubenelgenubi.

RACHEL
So it’s really a double star.

PAUL
These astronomical targets are more easily seen if you steady your binoculars by propping them on something like a fence.

RACHEL
Now for something a bit easier to see...

PAUL
On the evening of the 1st, stargazers will find Venus forming a triangle with two star clusters.

RACHEL
The clusters are the Pleiades and the Hyades and you’ll need to look in the very low west-northwest just after 10 PM.

PAUL
The Pleiades will be to the lower right of Venus and the Hyades to the lower left.

RACHEL
Closer to Venus is the star Aldebaran…

PAUL
…which marks the top corner of the Hyades.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 30th of April and 1st of May.

PAUL
Be sure to read our blog at idahoskies.blogspot.com for additional information.

For Idaho Skies this is Paul…

RACHEL
…and Rachel.

PAUL
Dark skies and bright stars.