DEAN: HEY THERE STAR GAZERS.
I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY.
JAMES: AND I'M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA
SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKY TONIGHT.
HEY DEAN, THE SUN RISES IN THE EAST AND SETS IN THE WEST RIGHT?
DEAN: FOR THE MOST PART.
JAMES: AND THE MOON, PLANETS, AND STARS RISE IN THE
EAST AND SET IN THE WEST TOO?
DEAN: UH HUH.
JAMES: SO HOW DO THE STARS MOVE IN THE NORTH
AND SOUTH?
DEAN: OH, I SEE WHERE THIS
IS GOING.
WE'RE GONNA DO SOME SPINNING IN THIS EPISODE AREN'T WE?
JAMES: YEP.
FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THE STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS YOU CAN FIND WHEN YOU FACE
NORTH AND SOUTH AFTER DARK.
DEAN: AND THEN WE'LL DEMONSTRATE HOW THE SKY SEEMS
TO MOVE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NIGHT IN EACH DIRECTION.
HOLD ON TIGHT, LET'S GET SPINNING!
JAMES: OKAY WE HAVE OUR SKY SET TO 10PM FACING NORTH
ANY NIGHT THIS WEEK.
WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE?
DEAN: THE BIG DIPPER, OF COURSE!
IT'S ABOUT HALFWAY UP IN THE NORTHWESTERN SKY.
FOUR BRIGHTER STARS MAKE A CUP AND THREE MORE MAKE A
CURVED HANDLE.
JAMES: AND SINCE WE'RE FACING NORTH, THE NORTH STAR,
OR POLARIS SHOULD BE HERE TOO.
IT'S NOT TERRIBLY BRIGHT BUT IT SHOULD BE AS BRIGHT AS THE
BIG DIPPER STARS.
THERE IT IS, ABOUT HALFWAY UP IN THE SKY.
DEAN: THE NORTH STAR IS PART OF THE LITTLE DIPPER,
BUT GOOD LUCK TRYING TO FIND THAT.
FOUR OF ITS SEVEN STARS ARE TOO FAINT TO SEE IN MOST CITIES.
JAMES: BUT FINDING THE NORTH STAR IS SIMPLE WHEN
YOU HAVE THE BIG DIPPER AROUND.
SIMPLY CONNECT THE DOTS ON THE TWO SPOON STARS, CONTINUE THAT LINE OVER TO THE RIGHT, AND
YOU WILL RUN SMACK DAB INTO THE NORTH STAR.
DEAN: AND IF YOU CONTINUE THAT LINE, HOP OVER TO
ANOTHER RECOGNIZABLE GROUP OF STARS.
JAMES: THEY LOOK LIKE THE LETTER W.
DEAN: YEP AND THIS IS THE CONSTELLATION CASSIOPEIA
THE QUEEN.
I KNOW IT DOESN'T LOOK MUCH LIKE A QUEEN BUT THE W CAN BE
HER CROWN.
JAMES: OOH, I CAN PICTURE THAT.
BUT THE CROWN LOOKS BENT ON ONE SIDE.
DEAN: AH, I'LL SHOW YOU WHY AS WE GO FOR A SPIN.
DEAN: AS THE NIGHT MOVES ON THE STARS IN THE NORTH
MOVE LIKE THIS.
NOTICE THEY SEEM TO ROTATE AROUND A CENTRAL POINT -
THE NORTH STAR.
IT'S ALSO CALLED POLARIS BECAUSE IT'S OUR POLE STAR, THE STAR THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE
ABOVE OUR NORTH POLE.
JAMES: YEAH, LIKE 432 LIGHT YEARS ABOVE OUR NORTH
POLE.
BUT AS THE EARTH SPINS, THE STARS SEEM TO MAKE A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE CIRCLE AROUND THIS
SPOT.
AS THE NIGHT ROLLS ON, THE BIG DIPPER GETS LOWER WHILE CASSIOPEIA RISES UP HIGHER.
DEAN: AS DAYTIME COMES ON, THE STARS ARE STILL THERE.
WE JUST CAN'T SEE THEM WITH ALL THE SUNLIGHT.
BUT THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE AROUND POLARIS AND AS WE MOVE TOWARD AFTERNOON, THE BIG DIPPER
IS HIGH IN THE SKY AND CASSIOPEIA…
BONK!
JAMES: BONKS HER HEAD ON THE GROUND.
AAH, THAT'S WHY HER CROWN IS BENT.
DEAN: EXACTLY!
JAMES: NOW LET'S FACE SOUTH.
IT'S 10PM AND WE HAVE TWO GREAT SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON.
SCORPIUS IS ON THE RIGHT AND SAGITTARIUS IS ON THE LEFT.
DEAN: YOU CAN RECOGNIZE SCORPIUS BY THE BRIGHT RED,
SUPERGIANT STAR CALLED ANTARES.
ANTARES CAN BE REALLY TWINKLY WHEN IT'S LOW IN THE SKY AND THUS STANDS IN FOR THE SCORPION'S
BEATING HEART.
JAMES: CHASING THE SCORPION IS THE CONSTELLATION
SAGITTARIUS THE ARCHER.
HE'S A CENTAUR, HALF MAN, HALF HORSE, WITH AN ARROW NOTCHED IN HIS BOW.
IN REALITY, THE STARS YOU CAN SEE LOOK MORE LIKE A TEA POT THAN A CENTAUR.
DEAN: YOU SHOULD ALSO SEE TWO OTHER BRIGHT, NIGHT
LIGHTS IN THE SOUTH.
THOSE ARE THE PLANETS JUPITER IN THE CONSTELLATION OPHIUCHUS,
AND SATURN IS IN SAGITTARIUS .
JAMES: COOL! AND DON'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE THE MOON
PASSING THROUGH THESE PLANETS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
JAMES: SO IN THE SOUTH LOOK FOR SCORPIUS AND SAGITTARIUS
WITH THE PLANETS JUPITER AND SATURN AMONG THE STARS.
DEAN: AND IN THE NORTH LOOK FOR THE BIG DIPPER,
POLARIS, AND CASSIOPEIA.
HEY JAMES, CAN WE SPIN THE EARTH REALLY FAST JUST FOR FUN?
JAMES: AND SHOW DAYS AND NIGHTS FLY BY?
DEAN: UH HUH.
JAMES: OKAY, HOLD ON…
BOTH: AAAAH!
BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!