Transcript: December Week 4

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies on Radio Boise. This is the fourth week of December. We’re your hosts, Paul..

RACHEL
..Rachel..

KRIS
..And Kris

PAUL
The moon also reaches the perigee of its orbit for the second time this month on the 27th at 8 PM.

KRIS
Its distance this time is a mere 230,108 miles away.

RACHEL
That puts this perigee two thousand seven hundred miles farther away than this month’s first perigee on the 1st, or 27 days ago.

PAUL
Did you know that the moon is not at the same phase today that it was at it’s last perigee?

KRIS
In fact, the moon won’t be in the same phase for another two days.

RACHEL
So it takes the moon 27 days to orbit the earth, but 29 days to go from full moon to full moon.

PAUL
Why this discrepancy?

KRIS
In the 27 days required for the moon to complete one orbit around the earth, the earth has traveled nearly 30 degrees around the sun.

RACHEL
The moon’s phase depends on its relative position with respect to the earth and the sun.

KRIS
So after the moon completes one orbit, it must travel an additional two days to get back into the same alignment with respect to the sun.

PAUL
We celebrate another astronomical birthday this week.

RACHEL
Johannes Kepler was born 435 years ago on the 27th.

KRIS
Born to a mercenary father and quarrelsome mother, Kepler did not enjoy a happy childhood.

RACHEL
As a young boy he spent time at a religious school for Lutheran boys in Tubingen.

KRIS
There he was taught the Lutheran orthodoxy. But Kepler generally felt unworthy and unhappy.

PAUL
He did however find happiness in his love for mathematics.

RACHEL
Kepler was taught astronomy as a part of his mathematics education.

KRIS
In the 16th century, most astronomers didn’t care how the planets actually traveled around the earth. They were more concerned with how to mathematically predict their locations.

RACHEL
Unlike the astronomers of his day, Kepler wanted to know the actual paths of the planets, and not just the mathematics that predicted their position in the sky.

KRIS
While in school, Kepler was introduced to the novel concept that the planets, including the earth, may actually travel around the sun.

RACHEL
After graduating from school, Kepler was sent to teach mathematics to young boys in Graz.

KRIS
He was not very good at this and students eventually stopped signing up to take his class.

PAUL
But while there, Kepler believed he found the true orbits of the planets.

RACHEL
Unfortunately his geometric model was wrong.

KRIS
Kepler assumed the problem was with his data of planetary positions, and not his geometric model.

PAUL
In reality, the data was inaccurate and his model was wrong.

RACHEL
To get a handle on the planets’ movements, Kepler needed better positional data on the planets.

KRIS
To get this superior data, he would need to work with the best astronomer of the day, Tycho Brahe.

RACHEL
Luckily for Kepler, Tycho was looking for a mathematical assistant. Kepler got the job.

KRIS
Kepler and Tycho did not get along. Tycho was a loud, brash nobleman.

PAUL
And poor Kepler was a quiet and pious commoner.

RACHEL
When Tycho died a year later, Kepler had to fight with the family of Tycho to get Tycho’s observational data.

KRIS
Finally Kepler got Tycho’s data. With it, Kepler discovered the true orbits of the planets.

RACHEL
That’s Idaho Skies for the fourth week of December. Join us next week for the space and astronomy news from Idaho and beyond.

For Idaho Skies this is Rachel…

KRIS
..Kris..

PAUL
.. and Paul.

Our sound engineer this month was Gwen Sanchirico.