MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU STAR NERDS. I M TRACE,
AND IN HONOR OF LUKE SKYWALKER S DOUBLE-SUNNED

HOME PLANET LET S FIND AN OPTICAL
DOUBLE STAR SYSTEM IN OUR OWN SKIES!

HIT THE DARKNESS ANY NIGHT THIS WEEK JUST AFTER

DARK AND FACE NORTH TO FIND
THE BIG DIPPER IN URSA MAJOR.

LOOK FOR THE STAR AT THE BEND IN THE BIG
DIPPER'S HANDLE: THAT S MIZAR AND IF YOU

LOOK CLOSELY YOU LL SEE A SMALL, FAINT
COMPANION STAR NAMED ALCOR. TOGETHER,

THEY RE CALLED THE HORSE AND RIDER AND WERE
OFTEN USED AS A TEST OF A PERSON S EYESIGHT.

IN STAR WARS, TATOOINE IS A DESERT PLANET
WITH TWO SUNS CALLED A BINARY STAR SYSTEM.

MIZAR AND ALCOR AREN T IN THE SAME
SYSTEM, THEY JUST APPEAR CLOSE TOGETHER,

BUT MOST POINTS OF LIGHT WE SEE ARE
MULTI-STAR SYSTEMS WITH TWO (OR MORE)

STARS! THE KEPLER SPACE TELESCOPE FOUND
AN EXOPLANET ORBITING TWO STARS IN 2011!

BUT THAT CAN T BE TATOOINE BECAUSE IT S
IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY. KEEP LOOKIN UP!