Idaho Skies Transcript for August 17th, 18th, and 19th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for August 17th, 18th, and 19th. We’re your hosts, Rachel...

PAUL
...and Paul.

RACHEL
The sun has shined for the last 4.5 billion years because of the fusion reaction taking place inside its core.

PAUL
At a temperature of 27 million degrees and a pressure 250 billion times greater than air pressure, hydrogen ions in the sun’s core are being squeezed into helium.

RACHEL
However, did you know that helium was unknown on Earth 150 years ago?

PAUL
That changed on July 18th, 1868 when astronomer Pierre Janssen aimed his spectroscope at the sun.

RACHEL
His spectroscope contained a prism to break apart the sun’s mixture of colors.

PAUL
And in that spectrum, he detected a previously undiscovered yellow line.

RACHEL
He knew that the colors found in a spectrum were the finger prints of elements inside the sun.

PAUL
So the yellow line must have represented an undiscovered element that was eventually named after the sun god, Helios.

RACHEL
While rare on Earth, helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, after hydrogen.

PAUL
It was created shortly after the Big Bang and atoms of helium gobbled up most of the free neutrons.

RACHEL
Helium is a very weird atom because of its perfect combination of two protons, two neutrons, and two electrons.

PAUL
Due to quantum mechanics, helium will flow out of any container that’s not tightly closed.

RACHEL
That’s because it’s a superfluid and can flow without friction.

PAUL
Did you know it could combine with a hydrogen ion to form an ion called helium hydride?

RACHEL
Even more strangely, chemists have determined that the helium hydride ion is the strongest known acid.

PAUL
More weird behavior from a weird little atom.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 17th, 18th, and 19th of August.

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

For Idaho Skies this is Paul...

RACHEL
...and Rachel.

PAUL
Dark skies and bright stars.