DEAN:
HEY THERE 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.

AND WERE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND
THE SKY.

DEAN, I HAVE SOME
SAD NEWS TO REPORT.

CUE THE SAD MUSIC.

DEAN:
WHAT IS IT?

OH MY GOSH, IS AN ASTEROID COMING TO DESTROY
THE EARTH?

JAMES:
NO.

BUT I HATE TO TELL YOU, WE ONLY HAVE A FEW
MORE WEEKS TO

SEE SATURN IN THE EVENING SKY.

DEAN:
NOOOOOOO!

JAMES:
I'M AFRAID SO.

DEAN:
YEAH, I KNOW.

BUT ITS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.

IM JUST ALWAYS A LITTLE SAD WHEN MY FAVORITE
PLANET DISAPPEARS BEHIND THE SUN.

SATURN IS JUST SUCH A COOL THING TO SEE IN
A TELESCOPE.

JAMES:
I KNOW.

IT LOOKS SO UNREAL WITH THE RINGS AND THE
MOONS.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE PUT A STICKER ON THE
END OF THE TELESCOPE.

DEAN:
BUT IT IS THE REAL THING.

SO LETS HEAD OUTSIDE AND FIND SATURN!

DEAN:
OKAY, WE HAVE OUR SKIES SET FOR OCTOBER 21ST

AT 8PM FACING SOUTHWEST.

THE MOST NOTICEABLE STAR IN THIS PART OF THE
SKY IS NO STAR AT ALL.

ITS MY FAVORITE PLANET, THE AMAZING RINGED
WORLD, SATURN.

JAMES:
NOW SATURN DOESNT STAND OUT AS MUCH AS VENUS

OR JUPITER
IN THE NIGHT SKY.

SATURN IS ONLY ABOUT AS BRIGHT AS THE BRIGHTEST
STARS OF SUMMER.

AND YOU DEFINITELY CANT SEE THE RINGS WITHOUT
A TELESCOPE - ALTHOUGH DEAN STILL TRIES.

DEAN:
NOPE.

IM SQUINTING AND
I STILL CANT SEE THEM.

JAMES:
JUST LOOK FOR A

PRETTY-BRIGHT,
YELLOW-TINTED STAR THAT DOESNT TWINKLE VERY

MUCH.

NEARBY STARS LIKE ANTARES, JUST ABOVE THE
HORIZON, AND NUNKI OVER THERE WILL TWINKLE

A LOT.

PLANETS DONT TWINKLE AS MUCH AS STARS.

DEAN:
AND YOU CAN ALSO LOOK FOR THE CONSTELLATIONS

AROUND SATURN.

TO THE LEFT OF SATURN IS A GROUP OF STARS
THAT LOOK LIKE A TEA POT.

THATS ACTUALLY THE CENTAUR NAMED SAGITTARIUS
WHO IS

HALF MAN, HALF HORSE.

JAMES:
UP AND TO THE RIGHT OF SATURN YOULL FIND A

GROUP OF STARS IN
A STRETCHED PENTAGON SHAPE.

THAT IS OPHIUCHUS,
THE GREAT MYTHOLOGICAL DOCTOR WHO COULD RAISE

THE DEAD AND JUST HAPPENS TO BE HOLDING A
SNAKE.

DEAN:
AND JUST BELOW SATURN YOU MAY FIND THE REMNANTS

OF SCORPIUS THE SCORPION WHO IS SETTING FAST.

THE BRIGHT STAR ANTARES IS THE SCORPIONS HEART
AND IT'LL BE GONE SOON.

JAMES:
WELL, LETS FLY UP TO SATURN REAL QUICKLY AND

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.

JAMES:
THROUGH A TELESCOPE YOU MIGHT GET A VIEW OF

SATURN LIKE THIS.

YOU CAN SEE THE RINGS AND ITS BRIGHTEST MOON
NAMED TITAN.

DEAN:
THROUGH A BETTER TELESCOPE YOU CAN SEE MORE

DETAILS IN THE RINGS INCLUDING A GAP - THAT
BLACK RING IN THERE - CALLED CASSINIS DIVISION.

PLUS YOU MAY SEE A FEW MORE MOONS LIKE RHEA,
TETHYS, AND DIONE.

JAMES:
AND THEN IF YOU COULD'VE HITCHED A RIDE WITH

THE CASSINI SPACECRAFT BEFORE IT CRASHED IN
THE PLANET, YOU'D GET VIEWS OF SATURN LIKE

THESE.

DEAN:
THERE ARE SO MANY RINGS YOU CANT COUNT EM

ALL!
AND WE NOW KNOW OF

AT LEAST 62 MOONS THAT CIRCLE SATURN.

THE PLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW ON THE PLANET,
RINGS, AND MOONS IS JUST SPECTACULAR.

THIS IS WHY SATURN IS MY FAVORITE PLANET!

BACK ON THE HORIZON

DEAN:
SO NOW WE GET TO THE SAD PART.

SATURN IS QUICKLY HEADING AROUND THE SUN AND
SOON WILL NOT BE VISIBLE IN THE EVENING SKY.

YES, THAT IS TRAGIC

JAMES:
BUT YOU HAVE A FEW MORE WEEKS TO

LOOK FOR IT.
AND IF WE ADVANCE TIME TO OCTOBER 22ND CHECK

OUT WHAT IS COMING
INTO VIEW.

DEAN:
THE MOON!

JAMES:
EXACTLY! AND IF WE MOVE TO OCTOBER 23RD THE

WAXING CRESCENT MOON WILL SLIDE EVEN CLOSER
TO SATURN.

AND THAT MEANS

DEAN:
CUE THE CONJUNCTION MUSIC!

JAMES:
WELL HAVE A MOON-SATURN CONJUNCTION!

DEAN:
AND THE PARTY WON'T STOP-- THE NEXT NIGHT

BECAUSE ON OCTOBER 24TH, THE MOON WILL STILL
BE NEAR SATURN.

JAMES:
SO THATS STILL A CONJUNCTION?

DEAN:
EH, CLOSE ENOUGH FOR YOU.

DEAN:
SO DONT WASTE ANOTHER NIGHT THIS MONTH WITHOUT

LOOKING FOR SATURN IN THE SKY.

JAMES:
IT'LL BE THE BRIGHT, YELLOW, NON-TWINKLING

LIGHT LOW IN THE SOUTHWEST AFTER DARK.

DEAN:
AND IF YOU CAN, GET A VIEW OF IT THROUGH A

TELESCOPE TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL RINGS.

YOU MIGHT DISCOVER THAT ITS YOUR FAVORITE
PLANET TOO.

BOTH:
KEEP LOOKING UP!