Idaho Skies Transcript for May 23rd and 24th

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for May 23rd and 24th. We’re your hosts, Paul…

RACHEL
…and Rachel.

PAUL
Mellotte-111 is star cluster unfamiliar to most people.

RACHEL
Primarily because its stars aren’t very bright.

PAUL
Mellotte-111, or Mel-111 as its friends call it, appears large because it’s quite close to Earth.

RACHEL
In fact, only 280 light years away.

PAUL
And that makes it Earth’s second closest star cluster.

RACHEL
So it’s no surprise that this large star cluster consists of widely spaced dim stars.

PAUL
But in dark skies, stargazers can see it as a lightly hazy patch in the sky.

RACHEL
To locate this star cluster, locate the moon on the night of the 23rd.

PAUL
Then mentally draw a line between the moon and the bright star above the moon.

RACHEL
That bright star, by the way is Denebola, or Leo’s tail.

PAUL
Now draw a second line the same distance from Denebola, but slightly more to the left.

RACHEL
Lock your eyes on this spot and then scan that region with your binoculars.

PAUL
You’ll know that you have sight of the cluster when your binoculars are filled with an upside-down V pattern of stars.

RACHEL
In dark skies, your binoculars will show you over two dozen member stars.

PAUL
Most of the stars in Mel-111 that you’ll see are brighter than the sun.

RACHEL
And a star as bright as our sun would be just barely visible in binoculars.

PAUL
Over time, the stars of a star cluster gravitationally slip free of each other.

RACHEL
Meaning that star clusters like Mel-111 dissolve into the Milky Way galaxy over millions or even billions of years.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 23rd and 24th 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.