Idaho Skies Transcript for May 18th, 19th, and 20th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for May 18th, 19th, and 20th. We’re your hosts, Rachel…

PAUL
…and Paul.

RACHEL
Start checking out the moon out every night this week.

PAUL
You’re looking for earthshine on the moon’s dark portion.

RACHEL
It’s best seen through binoculars, but still visible without them when you know what you’re looking for.

PAUL
Hey, what pairs well with the moon?

RACHEL
Ummm, maybe a star cluster?

PAUL
Then stargazers are in luck.

RACHEL
For on the night of the 19th, the moon appears very close to the Beehive star cluster.

PAUL
You’ll need binoculars to enjoy this pairing.

RACHEL
And stargazers don’t need to leave town to see this outstanding star cluster.

PAUL
However, they should get out from under the street lights.

RACHEL
Begin by aiming your binoculars at the moon.

PAUL
Then look 5 degrees to the moon’s upper left.

RACHEL
For a sense of angular scale, most binoculars have a field of view of 7 degrees.

PAUL
This means you should shift your binoculars to place the moon just outside your view in the 4 o’clock position.

RACHEL
The Beehive will appear as a small sprinkle of stars at the upper left of the center of your binoculars.

PAUL
You should see around two dozen member stars in a small space.

RACHEL
Remember that all those stars were born from the same cloud of dust and gas.

PAUL
And over millions of more years, they will drift apart.

RACHEL
So enjoy them now while you can.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 18th, 19th, and 20th of May.

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

For Idaho Skies this is Rachel…

PAUL
…and Paul.

RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.