TWO BEARS AND TWO DOGS JAMES: GREETINGS STAR GAZERS.
I'M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA SILVA PLAPLANETARIUM
IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA.
DEAN: AND I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FROM THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKY.
EVERY WINTER YOU CAN FIND TWO BEARS AND TWO DOGS IN THE STARS.
JAMES: THAT'S RIGHT, DEAN!
THE BEARS ARE CALLED URSA MAJOR AND URSA MINOR, WHILE THE DOGS ARE
CANIS MAJOR AND CANIS MINOR.
DEAN: EACH PAIR OF CONSTELLATIONS IS VISIBLE IN DIFFERENT TS OF THE SKY, AND
WE CAN SHOW YOU TRICKS TO FINDING THEM EASILY.
JAMES: LET'S SHOW YOU!
JAMES: OKAY WE HAVE OUR SKY SET FOR 9:30 PM ANYTIME
THIS WEEK FACING NORTH.
WERE GOING TO START BY FINDING THE TWO BEARS IN THE SKY,
URSA MAJOR AND URSA MINOR.
ONE IS REALLY BIG, BRIGHT AND EASY TO FIND -WHILE THE OTHER IS SMALLER, FAINTER,
AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND.
DEAN: BUT BEFORE YOU GO LOOKING FOR BEAR SHAPES IN THE STARS, LETS START SIMPLE.
A LITTLE TO THE NORTHEAST YOL FIND ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE STAR
SHAPES IN THE SKY.
IT'S STANDING ON ITS HANDLE, AS IT HAS DONE EVERY WINTER
EVENING FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
IT'S THE BIG DIPPER.
JAMES: NOW THE BIG DIPPER IS NOT AN OFFICIAL CONSTELLATION.
IT'S MORE OF AN UNOFFICIAL CONSTELLATION WE CALLED AN ASTERISM.
THE BIG DIPPER IS ONLY T OF THE LARGER CONSTELLATION URSA MAJOR OR THE BIG
BEAR.
DEAN: WOW, THAT'S A BIG BEAR! AND ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BE TOUGH
TO IMAGINE A GIANT BEAR WITH A HEAD, PAWS, AND CLAWS UP THERE, JUST REMEMBER
THAT THE BIG DIPPER MARKS THE BIG BEARS REAR END AND TAIL.
JAMES: YOU CAN USE THE BIG DIPPER TO FIND THE LITTLE
BEAR.
CONNECT THE DOTS ON THE TWO STARS AT THE END OF THE SPOON, WHAT
WE CALL THE POINTER STARS, AND CONTINUE THAT LINE TO THE LEFT.
YOU’LL RUN SMACK DAB INTO A STAR OF SIMILAR BRIGHTNESS.
THIS IS POLARIS, AKA THE NORTH STAR AND IT MARKS THE END OF THE ASTERISM
COMMONLY CALLED THE LITTLE DIPPER OR THE TIP OF THE TAIL FOR THE CONSTELLATION
URSA MINOR, THE LITTLE BEAR.
DEAN: THE TWO BEARS ARE NOT ALWAYS IN THIS CONFIGURATION.
AS THE NIGHT MOVES ON, THE BIG BEAR CIRCLES WITH
THE LITTLE BEAR AROUND ONE FOCAL POINT: THE NORTH STAR.
AROUND AND AROUND THEY GO!
DEAN: NOW WE'RE FACING SOUTHEAST AT 9:30 PM AND THIS IS THE AREA OF THE SKY WHERE THE
TWO DOGS LIVE.
WITH A LITTLE HELP YOU CAN FIND THEM EVEN EASIER THAN THE
TWO BEARS.
FIRST LOOK HIGHER IN THE SKY FOR THE SECOND MOST RECOGNIZABLE
STARS IN THE SKY, THREE STARS IN A ROW, ORIONS BELT.
OTHER STARS MARK HIS SHOULDERS, FEET, AND HEAD.
BUT THIS ISN'T ORIONS SHOW SO LET'S GET BACK TO THE DOGS.
JAMES: YOU CAN USE ORIONS BELT STARS AS POINTERS JUST LIKE THE STARS IN
THE BIG DIPPER.
CONNECT THE DOTS ON THESE STARS AND CONTINUE THE LINE DOWN
AND TO THE LEFT.
YOU'LL COME TO THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY, SIRIUS WHO
TWINKLES, SHIMMERS, AND FLASHES ALL SORTS OF COLORS WHEN IT'S LOW IN THE SKY.
IN SPACE DEAN: SIRIUS MARKS THE NOSE OF THE BIG DOG CONSTELLATION,
CANIS MAJOR.
SIRIUS IS A STAR LARGER AND HOTTER THAN OUR SUN, BUT SHINES
REALLY BRIGHT BECAUSE ITS ONE OF THE CLOSEST STARS TO US - AT ONLY 8.8 LIGHT
YEARS AWAY.
JAMES: THAT'S STILL LIKE 50 TRILLION MILES, BUT SOME
OF ORIONS STARS ARE 50 TO 150 TIMES FARTHER THAN SIRIUS!
DEAN: TO FIND THE LITTLE DOG, LOOK UP AND TO THE LEFT OF SIRIUS AND YOU'LL
FIND ANOTHER BRIGHT STAR CALLED PROCYON.
PROCYON IS T OF THE LITTLE DOG CONSTELLATION CANIS MINOR.
AWW, WHAT A CUTE LITTLE DOGGIE!
JAMES: CANIS MINOR IS NOT AS IMPRESSIVE AS HIS BIGGER BROTHER.
ACTUALLY, THE TINY CONSTELLATION ONLY HAS TWO STARS IT IN WHEN YOU INCLUDE
NEARBY GOMEISA.
HOW DO YOU PICTURE A DOG IN JUST TWO STARS?
DEAN: IT MUST BE A HOT DOG!
DEAN: SO NOW YOU KNOW HOW TO FIND TWO BEARS AND
TWO DOGS AMONG THE EVENING SKIES THIS JANUARY.
JAMES: URSA MAJOR AND URSA MINOR ARE IN THE NORTHERN SKY AFTER
DARK, WITH THE BIG DIPPER ACTING AS YOUR GUIDE.
DEAN: AND CANIS MAJOR AND CANIS MINOR HANGING OUT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN SKY WITH ORIONS BELT
POINTING THE WAY.
JAMES: CHECK THEM OUT ALL WINTER LONG.
WHO KNOWS WHAT OTHER CELESTIAL CREATURES YOU’LL SEE WHEN YOU BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!