1 00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:20,954 AWESOME ALTAIR 2 00:00:21,054 --> 00:00:23,757 JAMES: WELCOME TO STAR GAZERS. 3 00:00:23,857 --> 00:00:26,626 I'M JAMES ALBURY DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM 4 00:00:26,726 --> 00:00:27,694 IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA. 5 00:00:27,794 --> 00:00:29,362 DEAN: AND I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR 6 00:00:29,462 --> 00:00:31,398 THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY. 7 00:00:31,498 --> 00:00:34,167 WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKY. 8 00:00:34,267 --> 00:00:36,403 JAMES: ONE OF THE MAIN STAR PATTERNS OF SUMMER 9 00:00:36,503 --> 00:00:40,273 IS THE SUMMER TRIANGLE THAT RISES IN THE EAST AFTER DARK THIS MONTH. 10 00:00:40,373 --> 00:00:44,544 IT INCLUDES THE STARS VEGA, ALTAIR, AND DENEB. 11 00:00:44,644 --> 00:00:48,381 WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT THE SUMMER TRIANGLE, WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT ITS BRIGHTEST STAR, VEGA. 12 00:00:48,481 --> 00:00:51,151 DEAN: VEGA MAY BE BEAUTIFUL AND BRILLIANT, 13 00:00:51,251 --> 00:00:54,654 BUT IT CAN'T BEAT THE SECOND BRIGHTEST STAR OF THE SUMMER TRIANGLE, 14 00:00:54,754 --> 00:00:58,191 ALTAIR, WHEN IT COMES TO BEING WONDERFUL AND WEIRD. 15 00:00:58,291 --> 00:01:00,393 WONDERING WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? 16 00:01:00,493 --> 00:01:01,528 LET'S SHOW YOU 17 00:01:01,628 --> 00:01:04,230 DEAN: O.K., WE HAVE OUR SKIES SET UP FOR ABOUT 18 00:01:04,330 --> 00:01:06,166 11PM FACING EAST. 19 00:01:06,266 --> 00:01:10,270 THERE YOU'LL SEE THE THREE BRIGHT STARS THAT MAKE UP THE POINTS OF THE SUMMER TRIANGLE, 20 00:01:10,370 --> 00:01:15,175 THE BRIGHTEST BEING VEGA IN LYRA THE HARP, THE SECOND BRIGHTEST ALTAIR IN AQUILA THE 21 00:01:15,275 --> 00:01:19,212 EAGLE AND THE THIRD BRIGHTEST, DENEB MARKING THE TAIL OF CYGNUS THE SWAN. 22 00:01:19,312 --> 00:01:21,781 JAMES: NOW ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY STRANGE STARS 23 00:01:21,881 --> 00:01:24,918 IN THE HEAVENS, ALTAIR IS ONE OF THE STRANGEST. 24 00:01:25,018 --> 00:01:29,889 LOCATED ONLY 17 LIGHT YEARS AWAY FROM US, (WHICH IS PRETTY CLOSE STAR-WISE), 25 00:01:29,989 --> 00:01:33,326 ALTAIR IS THE 12TH BRIGHTEST STAR WE CAN SEE FROM EARTH. 26 00:01:33,426 --> 00:01:36,996 AND IF WE COMPARE IT TO OUR ALMOST MILLION MILE WIDE SUN, 27 00:01:37,097 --> 00:01:39,999 ALTAIR IS NOT ONLY 1 1/2 TIMES ITS SIZE, 28 00:01:40,100 --> 00:01:43,103 BUT SINCE ITS A HOT WHITE STAR, ALTAIR IS ACTUALLY 29 00:01:43,203 --> 00:01:46,072 9 TIMES BRIGHTER THAN OUR COOLER YELLOW SUN. 30 00:01:46,172 --> 00:01:48,808 DEAN: BUT THE REALLY PECULIAR THING ABOUT ALTAIR 31 00:01:48,908 --> 00:01:50,910 HAS TO DO WITH THE LENGTH OF ITS DAY. 32 00:01:51,010 --> 00:01:54,814 YOU SEE, A DAY FOR ANY STAR OR PLANET IS DEFINED AS 33 00:01:54,914 --> 00:01:58,284 THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES FOR IT TO MAKE ONE COMPLETE ROTATION 34 00:01:58,384 --> 00:01:59,652 ON ITS AXIS. 35 00:01:59,752 --> 00:02:03,590 NOW WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR EARTH MAKES ONE TURN ON ITS AXIS 36 00:02:03,690 --> 00:02:05,391 EVERY 24 HOURS. 37 00:02:05,492 --> 00:02:08,161 SO AN EARTH DAY IS 24 HOURS LONG. 38 00:02:08,261 --> 00:02:09,829 JAMES: OUR SUN HOWEVER, 39 00:02:09,929 --> 00:02:13,399 HAS A MUCH LONGER DAY BECAUSE IT MAKES ONE COMPLETE ROTATION 40 00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:16,069 EVERY 25 1/2 EARTH DAYS. 41 00:02:16,169 --> 00:02:20,340 SO ONE DAY ON THE SUN IS THE EQUIVALENT OF 25 1/2 EARTH DAYS. 42 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,209 DEAN: SINCE OUR SUN IS WAY BIGGER THAN THE EARTH 43 00:02:23,309 --> 00:02:24,911 AND SPINS MUCH MORE SLOWLY, 44 00:02:25,011 --> 00:02:26,579 YOU MIGHT THINK THAT ALTAIR, 45 00:02:26,679 --> 00:02:30,750 WHICH IS WAY BIGGER THAN THE SUN SHOULD TAKE LIKE A YEAR TO SPIN. 46 00:02:30,850 --> 00:02:33,019 AH, YOU BETTER THINK AGAIN! 47 00:02:33,119 --> 00:02:35,121 ALTAIR IS FULL OF SURPRISES! 48 00:02:35,221 --> 00:02:37,824 JAMES: ALTAIR DOES NOT TURN SLOWER THAN OUR SUN. 49 00:02:37,924 --> 00:02:41,361 IN FACT, IT IS ONE OF THE FASTEST ROTATING STARS WE 50 00:02:41,461 --> 00:02:43,062 KNOW IN THE GALAXY. 51 00:02:43,163 --> 00:02:49,002 INDEED, ALTAIR'S ROTATIONAL SPEED AT IT'S EQUATOR IS 150 MILES PER SECOND - 52 00:02:49,102 --> 00:02:52,906 WHICH MEANS THAT ALTAIR ROTATES ONCE EVERY 9 HOURS! 53 00:02:53,006 --> 00:02:56,676 SO ONE ALTAIR DAY IS LESS THAN HALF AN EARTH DAY LONG. 54 00:02:56,776 --> 00:03:00,713 PLUS ITS INCREDIBLY FAST ROTATIONAL SPEED PRODUCES ONE VERY WEIRD EFFECT. 55 00:03:00,813 --> 00:03:02,348 DEAN: THATS RIGHT, JAMES. 56 00:03:02,448 --> 00:03:05,952 ALTAIR SPINS SO RAPIDLY THAT IT BULGES AROUND ITS EQUATOR... 57 00:03:06,052 --> 00:03:11,391 SO MUCH SO THAT ALTAIR IS TWICE AS WIDE FROM SIDE TO SIDE AS IT IS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. 58 00:03:11,491 --> 00:03:15,461 THIS GIVES ALTAIR THE DISTINCTION OF LOOKING LIKE A BLUE-WHITE M&M. 59 00:03:15,562 --> 00:03:17,297 JAMES: HAVE I MENTIONED HOW MUCH I LIKE M&MS? 60 00:03:17,397 --> 00:03:18,298 DEAN: I KNOW. 61 00:03:18,398 --> 00:03:19,299 I KNOW. 62 00:03:19,399 --> 00:03:20,300 HERE, CATCH! 63 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:21,568 JAMES: NICE THROW! 64 00:03:21,668 --> 00:03:23,970 DEAN: NOW THAT JAMES IS FED, LETS SEE WHAT THE PLANETS 65 00:03:24,070 --> 00:03:25,305 ARE DOING THIS WEEK. 66 00:03:25,405 --> 00:03:28,775 JAMES: OK, NOW WE'RE FACING TOWARD THE SOUTH-- SOUTHEAST 67 00:03:28,875 --> 00:03:31,244 AFTER IT GETS GOOD AND DARK OUTSIDE. 68 00:03:31,344 --> 00:03:34,781 THERE ARE TWO PLANETS HANGING OUT HERE - ONE IS EASY TO SPOT 69 00:03:34,881 --> 00:03:36,349 AND THE OTHER IS A LITTLE TRICKIER. 70 00:03:36,449 --> 00:03:37,550 DEAN: THE EASY PLANET IS 71 00:03:37,650 --> 00:03:40,386 SO INCREDIBLY BRIGHT YOU WONT BE ABLE TO MISS IT. 72 00:03:40,486 --> 00:03:43,289 THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS JUPITER THE LARGEST PLANET IN THE 73 00:03:43,389 --> 00:03:44,591 SOLAR SYSTEM. 74 00:03:44,691 --> 00:03:47,627 THIS MONTH YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE A LITTLE STAR BELOW IT. 75 00:03:47,727 --> 00:03:51,030 THATS MY FAVORITE STAR NAME TO SAY IN ALL ASTRONOMY. 76 00:03:51,130 --> 00:03:56,336 ITS ZUBENELGENUBI AND IT IS THE WESTERNMOST STAR IN THE CONSTELLATION LIBRA THE SCALES. 77 00:03:56,436 --> 00:03:59,105 JAMES: THE MORE CHALLENGING PLANET TO IDENTIFY IS 78 00:03:59,205 --> 00:04:01,441 THE BRIGHT YELLOW STAR CLOSER TO ME. 79 00:04:01,541 --> 00:04:03,409 IT IS NO STAR AT ALL BUT IS, 80 00:04:03,509 --> 00:04:05,912 IN FACT, THE SECOND LARGEST PLANET IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM - 81 00:04:06,012 --> 00:04:07,680 SATURN. 82 00:04:07,780 --> 00:04:11,517 SATURN IS NESTLED AMONG THE STARS OF SAGITTARIUS HOWEVER YOURE MORE LIKELY 83 00:04:11,618 --> 00:04:13,886 TO PICTURE THESE STARS LOOKING LIKE A TEA POT. 84 00:04:13,987 --> 00:04:15,421 DEAN: SO GET OUTSIDE TO 85 00:04:15,521 --> 00:04:18,658 SEE ALTAIR, THE TOTALLY OUT-OF-SHAPE STAR OF THE SUMMER 86 00:04:18,758 --> 00:04:19,926 TRIANGLE 87 00:04:20,026 --> 00:04:22,128 JAMES: AND LOOK TOWARD THE SOUTH TO FIND THE LARGEST 88 00:04:22,228 --> 00:04:25,898 PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM - REALLY BRIGHT JUPITER TO THE RIGHT AND DIMMER 89 00:04:25,999 --> 00:04:27,433 SATURN TO THE LEFT. 90 00:04:27,533 --> 00:04:31,533 ALL: KEEP LOOKING UP!