transcript: 21-25 August

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies on Radio Boise. This is the fourth week of August. Weíre your hosts, Paul..

RACHEL
..Rachel..

KRIS
..And Kris

PAUL
The moon is new on the 23rd.

KRIS
Now weíll have some dark skies at night again. Unfortunately, this is also when school is starting back up

RACHEL
So teachers like Paul wonít be able to take as much advantage of the darker night sky.

PAUL
Hereís another piece of lunar informationÖ the moonís at apogee on the 25th.

KRIS
Apogee is the point in a satelliteís orbit that is its greatest distance from earth.

RACHEL
This month the moon is 252 thousand 443 miles away at apogee. Thatís almost 29 thousand miles farther than it was on the tenth which is when the moon was at perigee.

PAUL
Venus passes just Ω degree from Saturn on the morning of the 26th.

KRIS
Venus and Saturn will be very low in the twilight sky. So your best time to see them is around 6:15 AM.

RACHEL
If you go out much earlier than 6:15 theyíll be too low to the horizon. And if you go out later than 6:15 the sky will be getting too bright.

KRIS
Venus is the bright star about three finger widths above the east-northeast horizon.
Saturn will be the fainter star located just below Venus. Be sure to use binoculars for the best view.

PAUL
Wow, wonít they look close together?

RACHEL
Yes, but Saturn is on the far side of the sun and climbing higher above the horizon every day.

KRIS
Venus on the other hand is on the near side of the sun and getting closer to the horizon every day.

PAUL
The third spacecraft to visit Saturn flew past the ringed planet a quarter century ago on the 26th.

RACHEL
Voyager two is one of our most remarkable spacecraft. It visited the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune and is still going strong.

KRIS
Along with its twin, Voyager one, itís returning data on the space between our solar system and the stars.

RACHEL
The Voyagers are now embarked on what NASA calls the Voyager Interstellar Mission, or V-I-M. We may continue to hear from Voyager two until the year twenty-twenty when its radioactive power source grows too weak to power the spacecraft.

PAUL
By then however, it will have left our solar system and have entered interstellar space.

KRIS
The distances between the stars are vast and the sizes of the stars are tiny compared to their spacing. Therefore Voyager 2 will most likely travel the galaxy without colliding with a star or planet for as long as the galaxy exists.

RACHEL
Voyager 2 is traveling at a speed of 306 million miles per year. Thatís just over three times the average distance between the earth and sun.

KRIS
Astronomers call the average distance between the earth and sun an Astronomical Unit, or AU.

RACHEL
So traveling at a speed of three point three Astronomical Units per year, Voyager two will not make a close approach to a star until the year 298 thousand AD.

PAUL
I wonder where weíll be by then.

KRIS
The first star Voyager two will pass is Sirius, the brightest star in our sky.

RACHEL
Currently we are eight point six light years from Sirius. But in 298 thousand AD, Voyager two will only be four point three light years from Sirius.

KRIS
This means Sirius will appear four times brighter to Voyager two than it does to us now.

RACHEL
Weíll have more about Voyager two next week.

KRIS
Thatís Idaho Skies for the fourth week of August. Join us next week to hear our twoís show. Voyager two and Viking two.

For Idaho Skies this is Kris

RACHEL
..Rachel

PAUL
.. and Paul.

transcript: 14-18 August

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies on Radio Boise. This is the third week of August. Weíre your hosts, Paul..

RACHEL
..Rachel..

KRIS
..And Kris

PAUL
The moon is at third quarter on the 15th.

RACHEL
At third quarter the western half of the moon is visible. This half of the moon is largely filled with maria and the largest one is named the Ocean of Storms.

KRIS
The Ocean of Storms is 1,200 miles from north to south. Thatís almost half the distance across the United States.

PAUL
The maria formed after large meteoroids crashed into the lunar surface.

RACHEL
The deep crater and the cracks created by the impact let magma, or lava, flow out of the lunar crust.

KRIS
At 1200 miles across, you know a lot of lava had to erupt out of the moon.

RACHEL
Initially the Ocean of Storms may have looked like our Craters of the Moon.

KRIS
So think of the Ocean of Storms as a national monument covering almost half the United State.

RACHEL
There seems to be fewer interesting things to see on the third quarter moon, when compared to first quarter. But if youíre up late, why not take a look at the moon at a phase that most people donít see.

PAUL
Speaking of the moon, itís very close to the Pleiades on the morning of the 16th.

KRIS
The best view is before sunrise, so plan to take a peek at 5:30 AM. If you wait any later, the morning twilight will begin to interfere.

RACHEL
This grouping between the moon and Pleiades is a perfect sight for your binoculars.

PAUL
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, there are two star parties for you to attend this month.

KRIS
The first and largest is the Oregon Star Party, or OSP.

RACHEL
It runs from the 24th to the 27th and is held at the Ochoco National Forest. Thatís located close to mid state Oregon.

PAUL
This is the largest star party in the Pacific Northwest. So if you have a chance, donít miss it.

KRIS
Thereís more information at their website, www.oregonstarparty.org.

PAUL
The second star party is much closer to Home, Mountain Home that is.

RACHEL
The Idaho Star Party, or ISP, takes place from the 25th to the 27th at Bruneau Dunes State Park, near Mountain Home, Idaho.

KRIS
This is the perfect star party for your family. Itís close enough to Boise that traveling there is very convenient.

RACHEL
Thereís more information on this star party at the B-A-S website, www.boiseastro.org.

KRIS
These star parties take place at locations with the darkest skies around. And theyíre great places to learn about astronomy and telescopes.

RACHEL
Often there are vendors at star parties. So if you attend one of them, youíll get to see some of the latest in astronomy equipment.

KRIS
At night there will be dozens of telescopes pointing skyward. You can spend your night looking at so many astronomical objects that it would make Galileo jealous.

RACHEL
Of course these amateurs wonít be waking up very early in the morning.

PAUL
Say, wouldnít astronomy be the perfect hobby for Dracula?

RACHEL AND KRIS
Uh, yah. What ever Paul.

KRIS
And that was Idaho Skies for the third week of August. Next week weíll discuss Venus, Saturn, and Voyager 2. For Idaho Skies this is Kris...

PAUL
..Paul..

RACHEL
.. and Rachel.

Idaho Skies is a production of NearSys and Boise Community Radio. Dark skies and bright stars.

Dracula!!

transcript: 7 - 11 August

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies on Radio Boise. This is the second week of August. We're your hosts, Paul..

RACHEL
..Rachel..

KRIS
..And Kris

PAUL
Last week was the tenth anniversary of the discovery that the Martian meteorite AHL84001 may contain evidence for life on Mars.

KRIS
AHL84001 got its name because it was the first meteorite discovered in the Alan Hills of Antarctica in 1984.

RACHEL
It was a potato-sized rock that turned out to be from Mars.

KRIS
Inside the rock were tiny globules of carbonates similar to limestone on earth. On earth, carbonates usually form in the presence of water, but not always.

RACHEL
Inside the carbonate globules researchers discovered organic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs.

KRIS
PAHs are created by life on earth. But they're also found in things decidedly unlife-like, car exhaust for example.

RACHEL
But the PAHs in AHL84001 were found to come in a few specific sizes, rather than in many random sizes. And that's something life is good at producing.

KRIS
Also inside the carbonate globules were tiny crystals of iron sulfide and iron oxide. Each of these compounds is created by life on earth, but also by some non-organic processes.

PAUL
It was their size, shape, and close association with each other that lead researchers to conclude that they were evidence for life.

RACHEL
Finally, NASA researchers presented electron microscope images of what appeared to be fossil remains of bacteria in the carbonate globules.

KRIS
These possible fossils were much smaller than bacteria on earth today. So some have suggested they presented the fossil remains of nanobes, or nano-sized versions of microbes.

RACHEL
As of today, few if any biologists are convinced that the evidence contained in AHL84001 is sufficient to support the conclusion of past Martian life.

KRIS
So we may just have to go to Mars and find out for ourselves if there was once life.

PAUL
You can find Uranus in binoculars on the night of the tenth and morning of the eleventh.

RACHEL
Uranus is the seventh planet of the solar system and was the first planet to be discovered with a telescope.

PAUL
Its discovery made astronomer William Hershel famous.

KRIS
On the night of the tenth you can discover Uranus for yourself.

RACHEL
The planet is the brightest star two lunar diameters above the moon.

KRIS
You only need binoculars to see the planet. But if you use a telescope, even a small one, you'll see that the planet has a disk and is not at all star-like.

PAUL
The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on the night of the eleventh and morning of the twelfth.

RACHEL
Normally this is the best meteor shower of the year. But this year's nearly full moon lights up the night sky, especially after midnight when the meteor shower is at its best.

KRIS
However, if you're already camping, I'd still recommend watching it.

RACHEL
That's because the Perseids can produce some very bright meteors that the moon's light can't wipe out.

PAUL
I've seen some very brightest meteors from this shower.

KRIS
And there you have it, straight from the Street Astronomer's mouth.

RACHEL
That's Idaho Skies for the second week of August. Join us next week when we'll talk about star parties and the Ocean of Storms.

For Idaho Skies this is Rachel.

PAUL
..Paul..

KRIS
.. and Kris.

transcript: 31 July - 4 Aug

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies on Radio Boise. This is the first week of August. We're your hosts, Paul..

RACHEL
..Rachel..

KRIS
..And Kris

PAUL
Early August is a fine time to watch meteors.

RACHEL
A mild meteor shower peaks on the night of the first and morning of the second. These are called the Alpha Capricornids and they tend to be slow meteors.

KRIS
The Alpha Capricornids produce an average of six meteors per hour. However, this meteor shower also produces some of the brightest meteors you're likely to see from a regular meteor shower.

RACHEL
Other meteor showers are active at the beginning of August, so you'll see more than just the six Alpha Capricornids per hour tonight.

KRIS
After midnight is the best time to watch meteors. Since the moon is first quarter tomorrow, it sets before midnight giving us darker skies when the meteor shower is at its best.

RACHEL
For the best view of the Alpha Capricornids, just lie down on a blanket and look up.

PAUL
The Russians celebrate a space anniversary on the sixth.

KRIS
That's right. The second cosmonaut sent into earth orbit was launched 45 years ago in 1961.

RACHEL
Gherman Titov was launched onboard the Vostok two spacecraft. And unlike the previous three humans in space, Titov spent an entire day in orbit.

KRIS
Titov also has the distinction of being the first person to suffer from space sickness, a condition brought about by the body's reaction to weightlessness.

RACHEL
Vostok two would be Titov's only flight into space.

PAUL
August's second meteor shower peaks on the night of the sixth and morning of the seventh.

KRIS
The Southern Iota Aquarids is another weak shower. As its name implies, there's also a northern branch called the Northern Iota Aquarids. But it peaks next week

RACHEL
The currently active Alpha Capricornid meteor shower, combined with the Southern Iota Aquarids, and the soon to peak Northern Iota Aquarids and Perseids, means the night sky will be pretty active with shooting stars over the next few weeks.

PAUL
I hear there's a recent astronomical anniversary this week.

KRIS
That's right Paul. Ten years ago on the tenth, NASA held a news conference about a meteor that had been found in the Alan Hills of Antarctica.

PAUL
I know researchers have found more meteorites in Antarctica than anywhere else on earth. But what made this meteorite so special?

RACHEL
After some investigation, a research team concluded that this meteorite from Mars contained evidence for life on Mars.

KRIS
This conclusion was based on several lines of evidence. But no single piece of evidence by itself is good enough to prove the existence of life on Mars.

RACHEL
But we'll have to discuss this evidence next week.

PAUL
Looking for a local astronomy club?

KRIS
The Boise Astronomical Society meets on the second Friday of every month. And this month they meet on the eleventh.

RACHEL
The B-A-S is a club for new and experience amateur astronomers. If you're thinking of purchasing a telescope, then visit with the members of B-A-S first for advice and help.

KRIS
B-A-S meetings are held at the Discovery Center of Idaho and start at seven-thirty PM. Look for the B-A-S sign by the door in back of the Discovery Center.

PAUL
You'll find more information at their webpage, www.boiseastro.org.

KRIS
That's Idaho Skies for the first week of August. Join us next week when we'll talk about AHL84001 and how you can find the planet Uranus.

For Idaho Skies this is Kris.

RACHEL
..Rachel..

PAUL
.. and Paul.