“GOODBYE SUMMER TRIANGLE, HELLO ORION”
JAMES: GREETINGS STAR GAZERS.
I'M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA.
DEAN: AND, I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR THE CINCINNATI
OBSERVATORY.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKY.
JAMES: DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IS OVER, AND WITH SUNSET
TIMES SUPER-EARLY AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE STARS A LOT EARLIER
AT NIGHT.
DEAN: THAT'S RIGHT JAMES, AND AS DARKNESS FALLS,
MARS, WHO’S BEEN HANGING AROUND SINCE SUMMER, WILL GREET YOU.
BUT WE'D STILL LIKE YOU TO STAY UP A LITTLE LATER SO YOU CAN SEE BOTH THE STARS OF SUMMER
AND THE CONSTELLATIONS OF WINTER.
JAMES: IN THE WEST, THE STARS THAT LIT UP OUR SUMMER
VACATION AND ACCENTUATED OUR 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS, THE SUMMER TRIANGLE, ARE HEADING OUT FOR THE
SEASON.
DEAN: WHILE IN THE EAST, THE STARS OF WINTER WILL
START POKING THEIR HEADS ABOVE THE HORIZON.
AND ONE GUY'S WEARING A SNAZZY BELT.
LET'S SHOW YOU.
DEAN: OKAY, WE'VE GOT OUR SKY SET UP FOR
ABOUT 9PM FACING SOUTHWEST.
WHAT’S THAT BRIGHT, RED PLANET ABOUT HALFWAY UP IN THE SKY?
JAMES: YOU ALMOST ANSWERED YOUR OWN QUESTION, DEAN.
IT’S THE RED PLANET MARS!
MARS LIES BETWEEN OUR FADING SUMMER STARS AND OUR NEWLY-RISING WINTER ONES.
DEAN: TO SEE THEM ALL,
YOU NEED TO STAY UP A LITTLE LATER.
THAT'S WHEN THE STARS OF WINTER START TO APPEAR.
DEAN: IF YOU START STAR GAZING AT 9PM YOU'LL SEE
THE FAMILIAR STARS OF THE SUMMER TRIANGLE IN THE WESTERN SKY.
JAMES: THESE ARE, IN ORDER OF BRIGHTNESS, VEGA, ALTAIR,
AND DENEB.
AND YOU'LL SEE THEM IN THIS PART OF THE SKY FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS.
VEGA IS PART OF THE CONSTELLATION LYRA THE HARP…
DEAN: WHICH LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE PARALLELOGRAM ATTACHED
TO VEGA.
JAMES: ALTAIR IS PART OF THE EAGLE CONSTELLATION
NAMED AQUILA…
DEAN: WHICH LOOKS LIKE A DIAMOND-SHAPE.
JAMES: AND DENEB IS THE TAIL OF CYGNUS THE SWAN…
DEAN: WHICH SOME PEOPLE ALSO CALL THE NORTHERN CROSS.
JAMES: EACH NIGHT THESE STARS WILL SET EARLIER AND
EARLIER BUT THEY WILL LINGER IN THE EVENING SKIES THROUGH DECEMBER.
DEAN: I WISH SUMMER WOULD LINGER RIGHT THROUGH DECEMBER!
JAMES: NOW LET'S FACE EAST TO PREVIEW THE STARS OF
WINTER.
HERE YOU'LL FIND 6 OF THE 20 BRIGHTEST STARS IN THE SKY AND SOME OF THE MOST DISTINCT AND
RECOGNIZABLE CONSTELLATIONS.
DEAN: TWO STARS OF SIMILAR BRIGHTNESS ARE LOW IN
THE NORTHEAST.
YOU MIGHT CALL THEM…TWINS.
JAMES: THEY’RE POLLUX AND CASTOR, STARS THAT MARK
THE HEADS OF THE CELESTIAL GEMINI TWINS.
DEAN: UP HIGHER IN THE EAST YOU'LL SPOT BRIGHT,
WHITE CAPELLA.
THIS IS THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE CONSTELLATION AURIGA THE CHARIOTEER.
JAMES: OVER TO THE RIGHT OF CAPELLA IS A STAR WITH
AN ORANGE TINT EMBEDDED IN A V-SHAPE OF FAINTER STARS.
THIS IS THE BULL'S EYE OF TAURUS THE BULL - A STAR CALLED ALDEBARAN.
DEAN: BUT ENOUGH MESSING AROUND.
LET'S ZOOM INTO THE REAL SIGN OF THE SEASON, THE BELTED ONE, ORION THE HUNTER.
DO YOU SEE HIM OVER THERE LOW IN THE EAST?
DEAN: ORION IS EASY TO FIND, WITH HIS DISTINCTIVE
THREE STARS IN A ROW JUST ABOVE THE TREETOPS.
THE BELT STARS BEAR THE ARABIC NAMES, ALNITAK, ALNILAM, AND MINTAKA.
JAMES: THE BELT IS DEFINITELY COOL, BUT THE BRIGHTER
STARS IN ORION ARE GREAT TO CHECK OUT TOO.
THE BLUER STAR TO THE RIGHT IS CALLED RIGEL.
THAT MARKS THE LEFT FOOT OF THE MIGHTY ORION.
RIGEL IS ONE OF THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTEST STARS AROUND.
IT'S REALLY FAR AWAY, AS STARS GO, AT ALMOST 800 LIGHT YEARS FROM US.
DEAN: THEN, THE STAR IN ORION THAT IS DECIDEDLY
REDDER, IS UP AND TO THE LEFT OF THE BELT.
THIS IS BETELGEUSE, A RED SUPERGIANT STAR, ABOUT 640 LIGHT YEARS AWAY.
IT'S EASY TO REMEMBER BECAUSE IT JUST SO HAPPENS TO MARK ORION'S ARMPIT.
BETELGEUSE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST STARS IN THE GALAXY.
IF IT TOOK THE PLACE OF OUR SUN, BETELGEUSE WOULD EXTEND OUT BEYOND THE ORBIT OF MARS.
THAT MEANS THE EARTH WOULD ORBIT INSIDE OF IT!
JAMES: OUCH!
DEAN: SO ENJOY THE EARLY STARGAZING THIS WEEK AND
LOOK FOR MARS POPPING OUT JUST AFTER SUNSET, HALFWAY UP IN THE SOUTHERN SKY.
JAMES: THEN STAY UP LATER TO SEE THE SUMMER TRIANGLE
SETTING IN THE WEST.
DEAN: WHILE ORION, GEMINI, AURIGA, AND TAURUS RISE
IN THE EAST.
JAMES: YOU’LL SEE THE STARS OF SUMMER AND WINTER
IN ONE GLORIOUS NIGHT.
IT'S ALL THERE WHEN YOU…
BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!