Idaho Skies Transcript for October 12th, 13th, and 14th

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for October 12th, 13th, and 14th. We’re your hosts, Paul…

RACHEL
…and Rachel.

BRING DOWN MUSIC

PAUL
This weekend would be a great time to go moon watching.

RACHEL
First of all, Earthshine is becoming visible again. It’s easier to see Earthshine if you use your binoculars. So aim binoculars at the moon and look for a faint illumination over its dark portion.

PAUL
That illumination comes from sunlight, but its sunlight that reflected off Earth’s clouds. Most people think it’s the Earth’s oceans that would be the most reflective. But it’s not. The Apollo astronauts commented on just how dark the oceans and continents appears from the moon. That means, the cloudier Earth is, the brighter Earthshine becomes. And this has given climatologists another way to gauge the effects of climate change by looking at Earthshine reports from the past.

RACHEL
But it’s not just Earthshine you’ll see this weekend. Because on the 14th, Saturn appears just one degree below the moon. Saturn will be the brightest mellow star below the moon, so you can’t miss it. While binoculars can’t show you Saturn’s rings, they will show you other treats in the area.

PAUL
Surrounding the moon on its right side are several star clusters and nebulae. These are smaller and fainter than the Beehive star, so you’ll need to get out from under the street lights. But even a short distance away from town will make the sky plenty dark enough. So if you get the chance, be sure to scan the sky around the moon for small fuzzy glowing clouds. Some of them will even contain a sprinkle of stars.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 12th, 13th, and 14th of October.

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.