RACHEL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We’re your hosts, Rachel...
PAUL
...and Paul.
RACHEL
Stargazers will see the moon slide past two planets on Friday and Saturday morning.
PAUL
On Friday morning, look in the low southeast for the waning crescent moon. You might see Earthshine along with a star to the moon’s left. That star is Saturn, the ringed wonder of our solar system. Sadly, a pair of binoculars will not show you the planet’s rings or its largest satellite. However, a small telescope or even a spotting scope is capable of showing you these things. That is, if the telescope can magnify at least 25 times.
RACHEL
Through an astronomical telescope, which inverts images, Saturn’s rings will be tilted from the lower left to upper right. Titan, the second largest moon in the solar system, will appear to Saturn’s upper left. A non-inverting spotting scope still shows Saturn’s rings tilted from lower left to upper right. However, Titan will appear to Saturn’s lower right instead.
PAUL
On Saturday morning, the even thinner crescent moon appears to the right of the bright Morning Star. Venus is on its way back to the sun. Because of the relative motion between Venus and Earth, the Morning Star takes its time this year approaching the horizon. This means stargazers will have until the Fourth of July to observe Venus as the Morning Star.
RACHEL
Venus is a rocky world like Earth. It even has an atmosphere, but one unlike our own. Its air pressure of 90 times greater than Earth’s is similar to the water pressure found 3,000 feet deep in the ocean. Its atmospheric temperature is 900 degrees. That’s far hotter than any kitchen oven. These conditions exist on Venus probably because it lost its supply of water long ago.
PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of March.
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.
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