FINDING DIRECTION IN THE NIGHT SKY
JAMES: HEY THERE 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 TONIGHT.
HEY JAMES, ARE YOU SEEKING DIRECTION IN YOUR LIFE?
JAMES: WHY, HAVE I SEEMED MORE AIMLESS THAN USUAL?
DEAN: NO, YOURE DEFINITELY NOT LOST IN SPACE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT HOW THE STARS CAN TELL YOU YOUR DIRECTION.
WHICH WAY IS NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST.
JAMES: AHA, THIS IS A GREAT MONTH TO SHARE OUR TIPS
FOR FINDING POLARIS, AKA, THE NORTH STAR.
DEAN: AND ALONG THE WAY, WELL SHOW YOU THE BIG DIPPER,
LITTLE DIPPER AND CASSIOPEIA - THE THREE MAJOR CONSTELLATIONS OF THE NORTHERN
SKY. AND WE'LL VISIT A FLYING HORSE TOO.
JAMES: LETS SHOW YOU!
DEAN: OKAY, WE HAVE OUR SKY SET TO ANY NIGHT THIS
WEEK, AT 9 PM, FACING NORTH.
SINCE WE'RE FACING NORTH, THE NORTH STAR SHOULD
BE THERE SOMEWHERE, BUT WHERE IS IT?
JAMES: CONTRARY TO POPULAR OPINION, THE NORTH STAR
IS NOT THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY.
THAT HONOR BELONGS TO SIRIUS, THE DOG STAR.
IN FACT, POLARIS RANKS ABOUT 48TH IN BRIGHTNESS AND THROUGH CITY LIGHT POLLUTION, ITS JUST
BARELY VISIBLE.
DEAN: WELL, WHAT MAKES POLARIS SO DARNED SPECIAL?
LETS FLY UP THERE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.
JAMES: POLARIS RESIDES ALMOST DIRECTLY OVER OUR NORTH
POLE.
SO AS EARTH ROTATES, THIS CAUSES DAY AND NIGHT AND ALSO THE DAILY MOTION OF
THE STARS.
BUT LOOK, THE NORTH STAR BARELY MOVES!
DEAN: THAT MEANS THIS STAR SHINES IN THE NORTHERN
SKY ALL NIGHT - MAKING IT THE PERFECT STELLAR SENTINEL.
AS THE WORLD TURNS AND THE NIGHT GOES ON, THE STARS APPEAR TO ROTATE IN A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE
MOTION.
THIS MOTION GIVES US THE APPEARANCE THAT THE SKY SPINS ONCE A DAY WITH A PIVOT POINT AT
POLARIS.
JAMES: OF COURSE ITS THE EARTH THATS SPINNING.
NOT THE SKY!
DEAN: SINCE THE LITTLE DIPPER HAS SOME VERY FAINT
STARS, FINDING THE NORTH STAR CAN BE TOUGH.
BUT NEVER FEAR - THE OTHER DIPPER IS HERE!
THE BIG DIPPER IS MUCH MORE DISTINCT, AND YOU CAN FIND IT IN THE NORTHWESTERN SKY THIS
EVENING.
THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND SOME NATIVE AMERICAN GROUPS CALLED THESE STARS
A BIG BEAR.
BUT HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A BEAR WITH A TAIL LIKE THAT?
IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A RACCOON TO ME.
JAMES: NEVERTHELESS, WE'RE NOW GOING TO STAR HOP
- AND USE THE MORE NOTABLE STARS OF THE BIG DIPPER AS POINTERS.
CONNECT THE DOTS OF THE TWO STARS AT THE END OF THE
BIG DIPPER'S SPOON.
THEY'RE CALLED MERAK AND DUBHE.
CONTINUE THAT LINE UP AND TO THE RIGHT AND BINGO THEY'LL POINT YOU RIGHT TO POLARIS.
DEAN: WE'RE NOT DONE WITH THE BIG DIPPER'S POINTER
STARS YET.
IF YOU GO FROM THE BIG DIPPER TO THE NORTH STAR, KEEP GOING,
BECAUSE YOU WILL THEN RUN INTO A STAR AT THE TOP
OF A W-SHAPED CONSTELLATION.
THE STARS NAME IS CAPH AND NOW YOU'VE DISCOVERED CASSIOPEIA
THE QUEEN.
CAN YOU SEE THE BEAUTIFUL, BOASTFUL QUEEN SITTING ON HER THRONE?
JAMES: UHHHH…
NO!
DEAN: ME NEITHER, SO I PICTURE THESE STARS
AS HER CROWN GLITTERING IN THE NORTHEASTERN SKY.
JAMES: AHHH, THATS BETTER.
AND CASSIOPEIA IS EASY TO FIND AS YOU HOP ACROSS THE HEAVENS.
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BIG DIPPER AND POLARIS IS THE SAME AS THE DISTANCE FROM POLARIS TO
CASSIOPEIA.
JAMES: BUT WAIT, THERES MORE.
HOP FROM THE BIG DIPPERS SPOON TO POLARIS…
ON TO CASSIOPEIA…
AND MAKE ONE MORE HOP.
THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO THE CORNER OF A HUGE SQUARE OF
FOUR STARS.
AND WE'VE LANDED ON ONE CORNER, A STAR CALLED ALPHERATZ.
DEAN: THIS IS REALLY THE BODY OF PEGASUS THE
FLYING HORSE.
LET'S SEE THE PICTURE…
WOW, THAT DEFINITELY TAKES SOME IMAGINATION!
I GUESS THAT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A HORSE.
JAMES: IT MAY BE HARD TO PICTURE, BUT ITS EASY TO
FIND ONCE YOU BEGIN STAR-HOPPING.
AND REMEMBER ALPHERATZ?
THIS STAR NOT ONLY MARKS PEGASUS FLANK BUT IS ALSO THE HEAD OF THE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS
ANDROMEDA.
SHE LOOKS LIKE A LONG, STRETCHED-OUT LETTER A.
JAMES: SO THE BIG DIPPER WILL POINT YOU A TON OF
STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS.
FIRST FOLLOW THE END OF THE SPOON TO POLARIS, THEN ON TO THE W…
DEAN: CASSIOPEIA…
JAMES: THEN TO THE GREAT SQUARE…
DEAN: PEGASUS…
AND NOW THAT YOU CAN FIND THE NORTH STAR, YOU'LL NEVER BE LOST AGAIN!
BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!