1 00:00:02,669 --> 00:00:22,322 MONSTERS IN THE SKY 2 00:00:22,422 --> 00:00:24,257 DEAN: HEY THERE STAR GAZERS. 3 00:00:24,357 --> 00:00:27,594 I M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FROM THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY 4 00:00:27,694 --> 00:00:29,596 JAMES: AND I M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA 5 00:00:29,696 --> 00:00:32,132 SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA. 6 00:00:32,232 --> 00:00:35,435 WE RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKY. 7 00:00:35,535 --> 00:00:39,305 IT IS ALMOST HALLOWEEN, SO DEAN AND I THOUGHT WE D SHARE OUR FAVORITE MONSTERS 8 00:00:39,406 --> 00:00:40,540 IN THE SKY. 9 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:42,042 DEAN: THESE ARE THE STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS THAT 10 00:00:42,142 --> 00:00:45,045 STRUCK TERROR IN THE HEARTS OF OUR ANCESTORS. 11 00:00:45,145 --> 00:00:48,681 AND THEY INCLUDE A DRAGON, A SEA MONSTER, AND A WOMAN WITH SNAKES 12 00:00:48,782 --> 00:00:49,916 FOR HAIR. 13 00:00:50,016 --> 00:00:51,851 JAMES: AND FINALLY WE LL SHOW YOU THE STAR CLUSTER 14 00:00:51,951 --> 00:00:53,686 THAT SIGNALED THE DAY OF THE DEAD. 15 00:00:53,787 --> 00:00:55,321 LET S SHOW YOU 16 00:00:55,422 --> 00:00:58,858 JAMES: WE HAVE OUR SKIES SET FOR OCTOBER 31 FACING 17 00:00:58,958 --> 00:01:00,593 NORTH AT 8:30PM. 18 00:01:00,693 --> 00:01:03,897 WE RE GOING DRAGON-HUNTING AND LOOKING FOR DRACO THE DRAGON. 19 00:01:03,997 --> 00:01:06,232 DEAN: THERE S OUR GUIDE STAR HALFWAY UP IN 20 00:01:06,332 --> 00:01:09,269 THE NORTH POLARIS AKA THE NORTH STAR. 21 00:01:09,369 --> 00:01:13,940 IT S NOT TERRIBLY BRIGHT BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPY IT FROM MOST LOCATIONS. 22 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,443 THE DRAGON S SINUOUS BODY IS NEARBY 23 00:01:16,543 --> 00:01:19,012 JAMES: BUT THE DRAGON S HEAD HOLDS THE BRIGHTEST 24 00:01:19,112 --> 00:01:21,581 STARS IN THIS MONSTER CONSTELLATION. 25 00:01:21,681 --> 00:01:23,917 LOOK FOR THREE STARS IN A NEAT TRIANGLE. 26 00:01:24,017 --> 00:01:27,120 AND IF YOU RE IN A DARKER SKY, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE OUT A FOURTH STAR MAKING 27 00:01:27,220 --> 00:01:28,455 IT A REAL BLOCK-HEAD! 28 00:01:28,555 --> 00:01:29,756 DEAN: CAREFUL JAMES! 29 00:01:29,856 --> 00:01:31,591 DON T UPSET THE DRAGON. 30 00:01:31,691 --> 00:01:34,494 THE ANCIENT BABYLONIANS REFERRED TO DRACO AS THE 31 00:01:34,594 --> 00:01:37,630 SHE-DRAGON TIAMAT WHO TERRORIZED CREATION. 32 00:01:37,730 --> 00:01:42,836 SHE S SAID TO HAVE A BODY SEVEN MILES LONG AND A MOUTH AS BIG AS THE SKY. 33 00:01:42,936 --> 00:01:46,439 ALONG CAME A GOD NAMED MARDUK WHO SLEW THE GREAT BEAST. 34 00:01:46,539 --> 00:01:50,510 MARDUK THEN SLICED THE DRAGON IN HALF ONE HALF BECOMING THE EARTH, AND THE OTHER, 35 00:01:50,610 --> 00:01:51,678 THE HEAVENS ABOVE. 36 00:01:51,778 --> 00:01:54,547 JAMES: LET S LOOK HALFWAY UP IN THE NORTHEASTERN 37 00:01:54,647 --> 00:01:57,083 SKY NOW FOR THE CONSTELLATION PERSEUS. 38 00:01:57,183 --> 00:02:01,788 HE S A TOUGHIE TO FIND SINCE THE STARS DON T LOOK LIKE AN ARMOR-CLAD HERO WITH WINGED SANDALS. 39 00:02:01,888 --> 00:02:04,924 DEAN: WITH A LOT OF IMAGINATION, WE CAN SEE PERSEUS 40 00:02:05,024 --> 00:02:07,360 HOLDING SOMETHING IN HIS OUTSTRETCHED ARM. 41 00:02:07,460 --> 00:02:11,231 TO THE ANCIENT GREEKS IT S THE STAR ALGOL A.K.A. 42 00:02:11,331 --> 00:02:12,899 THE WINKING EYE OF MEDUSA. 43 00:02:12,999 --> 00:02:15,235 JAMES: SHE S THE GORGON WITH SNAKES FOR HAIR. 44 00:02:15,335 --> 00:02:17,737 DEAN: BUT OTHER CULTURES HAD SOME VERY FRIGHTENING 45 00:02:17,837 --> 00:02:21,341 NAMES FOR THIS STAR, LIKE: THE SPECTRE S HEAD, GHOST S HEAD, SATAN S 46 00:02:21,441 --> 00:02:24,944 HEAD, THE DOUBLE EYE, AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE, PILED UP CORPSES. 47 00:02:25,044 --> 00:02:27,313 JAMES: WHY SUCH SCARY NAMES? 48 00:02:27,413 --> 00:02:30,717 DEAN: ALGOL IS NO ORDINARY STAR - IT S A SPECIAL 49 00:02:30,817 --> 00:02:32,919 TYPE OF STAR CALLED AN ECLIPSING VARIABLE. 50 00:02:33,019 --> 00:02:35,855 ALGOL IS REALLY TWO STARS THAT ORBIT EACH OTHER. 51 00:02:35,955 --> 00:02:41,194 WHEN THE BIGGER, DIMMER STAR BLOCKED THE LIGHT OF THE SMALLER BRIGHTER STAR THE ANCIENTS 52 00:02:41,294 --> 00:02:42,462 NOTICED. 53 00:02:42,562 --> 00:02:45,298 DURING THESE ECLIPSES ALGOL DIMS LIKE CLOCKWORK EVERY 54 00:02:45,398 --> 00:02:47,000 2.87 DAYS. 55 00:02:47,100 --> 00:02:50,670 SO, SEE IF YOU CAN SEE THE WINKING EYE OF MEDUSA THIS MONTH 56 00:02:50,770 --> 00:02:52,872 IT WON T TURN YOU TO STONE. 57 00:02:52,972 --> 00:02:55,742 JAMES: PERSEUS IS USING MEDUSA S HEAD TO SAVE PRINCESS 58 00:02:55,842 --> 00:02:58,645 ANDROMEDA FROM A BRINY BEHEMOTH THE SEA MONSTER, CETUS. 59 00:02:58,745 --> 00:03:03,183 LOOK FARTHER TO THE SOUTHEAST, AND MAYBE YOU CAN MAKE OUT THE SEA MONSTER. 60 00:03:03,283 --> 00:03:06,519 DEAN: HIS OUTLINE LOOKS MORE LIKE A RECLINER CHAIR. 61 00:03:06,619 --> 00:03:09,189 JAMES: NEVERTHELESS, THIS WAS POSEIDON S VICIOUS 62 00:03:09,289 --> 00:03:11,758 PET SEA MONSTER WHO WE SEE TURNED TO STONE BY 63 00:03:11,858 --> 00:03:13,059 DEAN: MEDUSA S HEAD! 64 00:03:13,159 --> 00:03:14,827 JAMES: ALGOL STRIKES AGAIN! 65 00:03:14,928 --> 00:03:17,997 DEAN: MANY CULTURES SELECTED NOVEMBER 1 AS A SPECIAL 66 00:03:18,097 --> 00:03:19,766 DAY TO HONOR THEIR DEARLY DEPARTED. 67 00:03:19,866 --> 00:03:23,069 IT MARKS A HALFWAY POINT BETWEEN FALL AND WINTER, 68 00:03:23,169 --> 00:03:27,774 PLUS THE COOLEST STAR CLUSTER DOES SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. 69 00:03:27,874 --> 00:03:30,743 JAMES: THE SEVEN SISTERS, OR PLEIADES, ARE AN OPEN 70 00:03:30,843 --> 00:03:33,213 CLUSTER OF STARS VISIBLE IN THE EAST. 71 00:03:33,313 --> 00:03:34,714 AT FIRST GLANCE THEY LOOK LIKE A 72 00:03:34,814 --> 00:03:37,951 LITTLE CLOUD, BUT UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION YOU MAY BE ABLE 73 00:03:38,051 --> 00:03:40,053 TO MAKE OUT THE INDIVIDUAL STARS IN THE CLUSTER. 74 00:03:40,153 --> 00:03:42,522 DEAN: A SHARP-EYED FIRST GRADER TOLD ME THEY LOOKED 75 00:03:42,622 --> 00:03:43,823 LIKE A DINKY DIPPER. 76 00:03:43,923 --> 00:03:46,593 JAMES: THIS "DINKY DIPPER" FEATURES HEAVILY IN ALL 77 00:03:46,693 --> 00:03:48,695 HALLOW S EVE CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE - 78 00:03:48,795 --> 00:03:51,164 WHEN THEY ARE HIGHEST AT MIDNIGHT. 79 00:03:51,264 --> 00:03:57,403 MAYA, AZTECS, PERUVIANS, JAPANESE, AND HINDUS ALL HAD FESTIVALS FOR THE DEAD NEAR NOVEMBER 80 00:03:57,503 --> 00:03:58,671 1ST, IN HONOR OF THE 81 00:03:58,771 --> 00:03:59,939 SEVEN SISTERS. 82 00:04:00,039 --> 00:04:02,342 DEAN: AS THE NIGHT ROLLS ON, THE PLEIADES RISE HIGHER 83 00:04:02,442 --> 00:04:05,878 AND HIGHER IN THE SKY. AND AT LOCAL MIDNIGHT THEY REACH THEIR HIGHEST 84 00:04:05,979 --> 00:04:07,313 POINT. 85 00:04:07,413 --> 00:04:09,649 IN FACT, FROM THE YUCATAN PENINSULA, THE SEVEN SISTERS WOULD BE 86 00:04:09,749 --> 00:04:14,654 STRAIGHT OVERHEAD - THE GREAT MAYAN PYRAMIDS WOULD POINT DIRECTLY AT THE CLUSTER. 87 00:04:14,754 --> 00:04:16,456 JAMES: SO, LOOK FOR DRACO 88 00:04:16,556 --> 00:04:17,991 THE DRAGON IN THE NORTHERN SKY. 89 00:04:18,091 --> 00:04:19,359 DEAN: MEDUSA S HEAD, ALGOL, 90 00:04:19,459 --> 00:04:20,493 IN THE NORTHEAST. 91 00:04:20,593 --> 00:04:22,295 JAMES: CETUS THE SEA MONSTER IN THE SOUTHEAST. 92 00:04:22,395 --> 00:04:24,831 DEAN: AND, IF YOU DARE, STAY UP UNTIL MIDNIGHT TO 93 00:04:24,931 --> 00:04:28,234 SEE THE SEVEN SISTERS RIDE ACROSS A SPOOKY SKY. 94 00:04:28,334 --> 00:04:30,103 JAMES: HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND 95 00:04:30,203 --> 00:04:34,203 BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!