MONSTERS IN THE SKY
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.
WE RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND
THE SKY.
IT IS ALMOST HALLOWEEN, SO DEAN AND I THOUGHT
WE D SHARE OUR FAVORITE MONSTERS
IN THE SKY.
DEAN:
THESE ARE THE STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS THAT
STRUCK TERROR IN THE HEARTS OF OUR ANCESTORS.
AND THEY INCLUDE A DRAGON,
A SEA MONSTER, AND A WOMAN WITH SNAKES
FOR HAIR.
JAMES:
AND FINALLY WE LL SHOW YOU THE STAR CLUSTER
THAT SIGNALED THE DAY OF THE DEAD.
LET S SHOW YOU
JAMES:
WE HAVE OUR SKIES SET FOR OCTOBER 31 FACING
NORTH AT 8:30PM.
WE RE GOING DRAGON-HUNTING AND LOOKING FOR
DRACO THE DRAGON.
DEAN:
THERE S OUR GUIDE STAR HALFWAY UP IN
THE NORTH POLARIS AKA THE NORTH STAR.
IT S NOT TERRIBLY BRIGHT BUT YOU SHOULD
BE ABLE TO SPY IT FROM MOST LOCATIONS.
THE DRAGON S SINUOUS BODY IS NEARBY
JAMES:
BUT THE DRAGON S HEAD HOLDS THE BRIGHTEST
STARS IN THIS MONSTER CONSTELLATION.
LOOK FOR THREE STARS IN A NEAT TRIANGLE.
AND IF YOU RE IN A DARKER SKY, YOU MIGHT
BE ABLE TO MAKE OUT A FOURTH STAR MAKING
IT A REAL BLOCK-HEAD!
DEAN:
CAREFUL JAMES!
DON T UPSET THE DRAGON.
THE ANCIENT BABYLONIANS REFERRED TO DRACO
AS THE
SHE-DRAGON TIAMAT WHO TERRORIZED CREATION.
SHE S SAID TO HAVE A BODY SEVEN MILES LONG
AND A MOUTH AS BIG AS THE SKY.
ALONG CAME A GOD NAMED MARDUK WHO SLEW THE
GREAT BEAST.
MARDUK THEN SLICED THE DRAGON IN HALF
ONE HALF BECOMING THE EARTH, AND THE OTHER,
THE HEAVENS ABOVE.
JAMES:
LET S LOOK HALFWAY UP IN THE NORTHEASTERN
SKY NOW FOR THE CONSTELLATION PERSEUS.
HE S A TOUGHIE TO FIND SINCE THE STARS DON T
LOOK LIKE AN ARMOR-CLAD HERO WITH WINGED SANDALS.
DEAN:
WITH A LOT OF IMAGINATION, WE CAN SEE PERSEUS
HOLDING SOMETHING IN HIS OUTSTRETCHED ARM.
TO THE ANCIENT GREEKS IT S THE STAR ALGOL
A.K.A.
THE WINKING EYE OF MEDUSA.
JAMES:
SHE S THE GORGON WITH SNAKES FOR HAIR.
DEAN:
BUT OTHER CULTURES HAD SOME VERY FRIGHTENING
NAMES FOR THIS STAR, LIKE:
THE SPECTRE S HEAD, GHOST S HEAD, SATAN S
HEAD, THE DOUBLE EYE, AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE,
PILED UP CORPSES.
JAMES:
WHY SUCH SCARY NAMES?
DEAN:
ALGOL IS NO ORDINARY STAR - IT S A SPECIAL
TYPE OF STAR
CALLED AN ECLIPSING VARIABLE.
ALGOL IS REALLY TWO STARS THAT ORBIT
EACH OTHER.
WHEN THE BIGGER, DIMMER STAR BLOCKED THE LIGHT
OF THE SMALLER BRIGHTER STAR THE ANCIENTS
NOTICED.
DURING THESE ECLIPSES ALGOL DIMS LIKE CLOCKWORK
EVERY
2.87 DAYS.
SO, SEE IF YOU CAN SEE THE WINKING EYE OF
MEDUSA THIS MONTH
IT WON T TURN YOU TO STONE.
JAMES:
PERSEUS IS USING MEDUSA S HEAD TO SAVE PRINCESS
ANDROMEDA FROM A BRINY BEHEMOTH THE SEA
MONSTER, CETUS.
LOOK FARTHER TO THE SOUTHEAST,
AND MAYBE YOU CAN MAKE OUT THE SEA MONSTER.
DEAN:
HIS OUTLINE LOOKS MORE LIKE A RECLINER CHAIR.
JAMES:
NEVERTHELESS, THIS WAS POSEIDON S VICIOUS
PET SEA MONSTER WHO WE SEE TURNED TO
STONE BY
DEAN:
MEDUSA S HEAD!
JAMES:
ALGOL STRIKES AGAIN!
DEAN:
MANY CULTURES SELECTED NOVEMBER 1 AS A SPECIAL
DAY TO HONOR THEIR DEARLY DEPARTED.
IT MARKS A HALFWAY POINT BETWEEN FALL
AND WINTER,
PLUS THE COOLEST STAR CLUSTER DOES SOMETHING
SPECIAL THAT NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT.
JAMES:
THE SEVEN SISTERS, OR PLEIADES, ARE AN OPEN
CLUSTER OF STARS VISIBLE IN THE EAST.
AT FIRST GLANCE
THEY LOOK LIKE A
LITTLE CLOUD,
BUT UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION YOU MAY BE ABLE
TO MAKE OUT THE INDIVIDUAL STARS IN
THE CLUSTER.
DEAN:
A SHARP-EYED FIRST GRADER TOLD ME THEY LOOKED
LIKE A
DINKY DIPPER.
JAMES:
THIS "DINKY DIPPER" FEATURES HEAVILY IN ALL
HALLOW S EVE CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE
-
WHEN THEY ARE HIGHEST AT MIDNIGHT.
MAYA, AZTECS, PERUVIANS, JAPANESE, AND HINDUS
ALL HAD FESTIVALS FOR THE DEAD NEAR NOVEMBER
1ST,
IN HONOR OF THE
SEVEN SISTERS.
DEAN:
AS THE NIGHT ROLLS ON, THE PLEIADES RISE HIGHER
AND HIGHER IN THE SKY.
AND AT LOCAL MIDNIGHT THEY REACH THEIR HIGHEST
POINT.
IN FACT, FROM THE YUCATAN PENINSULA,
THE SEVEN SISTERS WOULD BE
STRAIGHT OVERHEAD - THE GREAT MAYAN PYRAMIDS
WOULD POINT DIRECTLY AT THE CLUSTER.
JAMES:
SO, LOOK FOR DRACO
THE DRAGON IN THE NORTHERN SKY.
DEAN:
MEDUSA S HEAD, ALGOL,
IN THE NORTHEAST.
JAMES:
CETUS THE SEA MONSTER IN THE SOUTHEAST.
DEAN:
AND, IF YOU DARE, STAY UP UNTIL MIDNIGHT TO
SEE THE SEVEN SISTERS RIDE ACROSS A SPOOKY
SKY.
JAMES:
HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND
BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!