Idaho Skies Transcript for February 6th and 7th

RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for February 6th and 7th. We’re your hosts, Rachel…

PAUL
…and Paul.

RACHEL
The moon finally reappears in the evening sky this week.

PAUL
The moon was new on the 4th. That day, it passed above the sun from Idaho’s perspective. That meant there was no solar eclipse, since the moon didn’t pass in front of the sun. That also meant that sunlight fully illuminated the moon’s far side, while the near side that we see was left in complete darkness. People are being careless when they call the far side of the moon its dark side. It’s not dark; it gets two weeks of sunlight per month just like the near side.

RACHEL
Sometimes, stargazers can see the moon when it’s less than 24 hours after new. There are three astronomical conditions that improve your chances of seeing a moon this young. First, the moon must be closer to Earth than average, that way it travels swiftly away from the sun from our perspective. Second, new moon must occur between December and March. That way the moon’s orbit, relative to the horizon, tilts at its highest angle.

PAUL
The last condition takes advantage of the moon’s tilted orbit, which is tilted 5 degrees relative to Earth’s equator. This means it’s easier to see a young crescent moon when it’s at the highest point of its tilted orbit. So what is the youngest moon that stargazers have observed? Well, if we only count times that it was observed without optical aid, that would be 15.5 hours old.

RACHEL
Unfortunately, this month the moon is poorly placed for an early observation. However, stargazers will be able to observe the two-day old moon on the 6th. Look in the low west-southwest at about 7:00 PM. The thin crescent will probably be easier to find if you scan the area with your binoculars first. But please, wait until after sunset before you use binoculars anywhere close to the sun. 

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 6th and 7th of February.

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.