DEAN: WELCOME TO STAR GAZERS.
I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FROM THE CINCINNATI
OBSERVATORY.
JAMES: AND I'M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE
KIKA SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM IN GAINESVILLE,
FLORIDA.
IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN WHERE, WE ENCOURAGE
STAR GAZERS EVERYWHERE TO CELEBRATE DAY-STAR
DAY.
DEAN: THAT'S RIGHT, JAMES.
JUST GET UP BEFORE DAWN AND EXPERIENCE A GREAT
STAR RISE OVER OUR EARTH'S HORIZON.
A STAR SO HUGE WE COULD FIT OVER ONE AND A
QUARTER MILLION EARTHS INSIDE IT.
JAMES: WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
LET'S SHOW YOU!
DEAN: IT SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH BUT FEW PEOPLE
EVER PAY CLOSE ENOUGH ATTENTION TO THE RISING
OF THE ONLY STAR WE CAN SEE IN THE DAYTIME,
TO EVER REALLY EXPERIENCE IT.
WE CALL THIS STAR, THE SUN, BUT ON STAR GAZERS,
WE OCCASSIONALLY REFER TO IT AS OUR DAY STAR.
JAMES: THREE YEARS AGO, THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
OCCURRED ON THE WEEKEND, MAKING OUR DAY STAR
DAY CELEBRATION EASY TO DO.
HOWEVER THIS YEAR, IT OCCURS DURING THE WEEK.
FOR THOSE OF US ON THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED
STATES, THE SUMMER SOLSTICE OCCURS AT PRECISELY
12:24 AM EDT ON THE MORNING OF WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 21ST.
DEAN: THEREFORE, IT MIGHT BE A CHALLENGE TO
FULLY PARTICIPATE IN OUR DAY STAR DAY SUNRISE
EXPERIENCE ON THE ACTUAL DAY OF THE SUMMER
SOLSTICE.
SO WE SUGGEST EXPERIENCING THE SUNRISE THE
WEEKEND BEFORE THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, ON SATURDAY
JUNE 17TH OR SUNDAY, JUNE 18TH.
JAMES: NOW I'LL BET THAT SOME OF YOU ARE THINKING
THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SUNRISE AND THAT
YOU'VE SEEN THOUSANDS OF THEM.
BUT EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY THINK YOU'VE SEEN
THOUSANDS OF SUNRISES VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE
EVER TAKEN THE TIME TO COMPLETELY EXPERIENCE
WHAT'S HAPPENING ALL AROUND THEM AS THE SUN
RISES.
DEAN: SUNRISE INVOLVES A COMPLEX SERIES OF
STEPS AS NIGHT SLOWLY TURNS INTO DAWN AND
THEN FINALLY INTO DAY.
IF YOU FOLLOW OUR SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS, YOU'LL
EXPERIENCE ONE OF THE GRANDEST EVENTS IN NATURE;
WHICH MOST PEOPLE IGNORE.
JAMES: TO PARTICIPATE, HERE IS ALL YOU HAVE
TO DO.
SIMPLY GET UP
ON THE DAY YOU'VE CHOSEN, WHILE IT IS STILL
DARK OUT, ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE TWILIGHT
BEGINS.
WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE HEART OF A CITY OR
OUT IN THE COUNTRY, IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE SUN ITSELF YOU'RE GOING
TO OBSERVE BUT THE EFFECTS OF SUNRISE ON EVERYTHING
AROUND YOU, AS YOUR PART OF THE WORLD SLOWLY
TURNS FROM NIGHT INTO DAY.
DEAN: IT'S BETTER TO BE OUTSIDE, BUT IF YOU
CAN'T GO OUTSIDE, JUST SIT BY AN OPEN WINDOW.
NOW FOR THE RULES, WHICH ARE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL:
NO INTERNET, NO PHONES, NO DOING YOUR NORMAL
WAKE-UP ROUTINE.
ALL DISTRACTIONS MUST BE ELIMINATED.
JAMES: SIMPLY SIT QUIETLY, INSIDE OR OUTSIDE
AND WHEN YOU SEE THE SKY SLOWLY START TO BRIGHTEN,
LOOK, LISTEN AND FEEL WHAT HAPPENS ALL AROUND
YOU.
A SUNRISE IS MORE THAN VISUAL.
WATCH THE DELICATE INTERPLAY OF LIGHT, COLOR
AND SHADOW.
DEAN: BUT ALSO LISTEN AND YOU'LL HEAR THE
SOUNDS OF OUR WORLD AND ITS CREATURES WAKING
UP.
YOU'LL FEEL THE WIND CHANGE, THE TEMPERATURE
CHANGE AND MUCH, MUCH MORE.
JAMES: IF YOU DO GET OUTSIDE BEFORE DAWN ON
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21ST, YOU'RE IN FOR A TREAT.
THE WANING CRESCENT MOON AND VENUS WILL BE
IN CONJUNCTION AND THEY'LL BE 7 DEGREES (OR
14 MOON WIDTHS) APART, RISING IN THE EAST.
DEAN: THE WANING CRESCENT MOON WILL ALSO BE
SHOWING SOME EARTHSHINE.
EARTHSHINE HAPPENS WHEN SUNLIGHT REFLECTING
OFF THE EARTH GENTLY LIGHTS UP THE NIGHTTIME
SIDE OF THE MOON.
THIS ALLOWS YOU TO SEE THE MAN IN THE MOON
PATTERN IN THE DARK PORTION OF THE MOON.
JAMES: SO AS YOU EXPERIENCE DAY STAR DAY,
KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE SUBTLE CHANGES YOU NOTICE
AND RECORD YOUR OBSERVATIONS ON PAPER OR INTO
A VOICE RECORDER.
THEN READ OR LISTEN TO YOUR OBSERVATIONS A
FEW DAYS LATER.
BELIEVE ME, IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE
YOU'LL BE ABSOLUTELY AMAZED AT WHAT A STAR
RISE OVER A SMALL PLANET CAN DO FOR YOU.
DEAN: OF COURSE REMEMBER TO NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY
AT THE SUN AT ANY TIME.
ONLY OBSERVE THE EFFECTS OF THE SUNRISE ON
THE WORLD AROUND YOU.
YOU'LL GAIN A WHOLE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
OF YOUR PLACE ON THIS PLANET AND OUR PLANET'S
PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE.
JAMES: HAPPY "DAY STAR DAY", MY FRIENDS, AND
BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!