1 00:00:02,669 --> 00:00:22,055 WHERE DID THE BIG DIPPER GO? 2 00:00:22,155 --> 00:00:24,024 JAMES: WELCOME TO STAR GAZERS. 3 00:00:24,124 --> 00:00:26,559 I M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA SILVA PLA 4 00:00:26,659 --> 00:00:28,161 PLANETARIUM IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA. 5 00:00:28,261 --> 00:00:30,930 DEAN: AND I M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR THE CINCINNATI 6 00:00:31,031 --> 00:00:32,165 OBSERVATORY. 7 00:00:32,265 --> 00:00:35,268 WE RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKY. 8 00:00:35,368 --> 00:00:38,905 HEY JAMES, WHAT IS THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE STAR PATTERN IN THE SKY? 9 00:00:39,005 --> 00:00:41,474 JAMES: THAT WOULD, OF COURSE, BE THE SMILING DEAN 10 00:00:41,574 --> 00:00:42,642 REGAS ASTERISM. 11 00:00:42,742 --> 00:00:44,544 DEAN: WELL, OBVIOUSLY. 12 00:00:44,644 --> 00:00:48,381 PUT ANY NUMBER STARS TOGETHER AND YOU MIGHT IMAGINE THAT. 13 00:00:48,481 --> 00:00:51,384 AND WE CAN T FORGET THE JAMES ALBURY, HERCULES CONSTELLATION. 14 00:00:51,484 --> 00:00:52,786 JAMES: WELL, DUH? 15 00:00:52,886 --> 00:00:56,322 DEAN: BUT I THINK THE EASIEST TO IDENTIFY IS THE BIG DIPPER. 16 00:00:56,423 --> 00:00:57,991 JAMES: DEFINITELY! 17 00:00:58,091 --> 00:01:00,827 THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE SEVEN SEMI-BRIGHT STARS THAT GRAB YOUR ATTENTION. 18 00:01:00,927 --> 00:01:03,696 DEAN: AND THE BIG DIPPER IS UP ALMOST ALL YEAR-ROUND. 19 00:01:03,797 --> 00:01:05,665 JAMES: EMPHASIS ON THE ALMOST 20 00:01:05,765 --> 00:01:08,268 DEAN: YES, AND THERE IS ONE SEASON WHERE THE BIG 21 00:01:08,368 --> 00:01:11,905 DIPPER DIPS SO LOW IN THE NORTHERN SKY THAT IT MAY BECOME INVISIBLE. 22 00:01:12,005 --> 00:01:13,873 JAMES: AND THAT SEASON IS NOW. 23 00:01:13,973 --> 00:01:18,178 WE RE GOING TO HEAD OUT TO THE STARS AND SHOW YOU WHERE NOT TO LOOK FOR THE BIG DIPPER 24 00:01:18,278 --> 00:01:19,179 IN THE SKY. 25 00:01:19,279 --> 00:01:21,081 DEAN: AND WHEN YOU CAN SEE IT AGAIN. 26 00:01:21,181 --> 00:01:23,550 DEAN: I KNOW IT MAY SEEM WEIRD THAT WE RE DOING 27 00:01:23,650 --> 00:01:26,186 A SHOW ON WHAT NOT TO LOOK FOR IN THE NIGHT SKY. 28 00:01:26,286 --> 00:01:30,490 BUT WE DON T WANT YOU TO FREAK OUT WHEN YOU STEP OUTSIDE AND NOT SEE THE BIG DIPPER. 29 00:01:30,590 --> 00:01:32,892 JAMES: THE BIG DIPPER IS ALWAYS SOMEWHERE IN THE 30 00:01:32,992 --> 00:01:34,828 NORTHERN SKY. 31 00:01:34,928 --> 00:01:39,099 WE CALL IT CIRCUMPOLAR - SINCE IT CAN BE SEEN MAKING A COMPLETE CIRCLE AROUND POLARIS, A.K.A. 32 00:01:39,199 --> 00:01:40,333 THE NORTH STAR. 33 00:01:40,433 --> 00:01:42,769 DEAN: WHEN YOU FACE NORTH AND WATCH THE STARS LONG 34 00:01:42,869 --> 00:01:46,873 ENOUGH, YOU LL NOTICE THAT THEY MOVE IN A SLOW COUNTER-CLOCKWISE CIRCLE AROUND ONE 35 00:01:46,973 --> 00:01:47,974 POINT. 36 00:01:48,074 --> 00:01:50,076 JAMES: THAT PIVOT POINT IS THE NORTH STAR. 37 00:01:50,176 --> 00:01:54,080 ANY CONSTELLATIONS NEAR THE NORTH STAR MAKE A TINY CIRCLE AROUND IT. 38 00:01:54,180 --> 00:01:58,485 LIKE THE CONSTELLATIONS URSA MINOR (WHICH INCLUDES THE LITTLE DIPPER STARS), CASSIOPEIA 39 00:01:58,585 --> 00:02:01,888 THE QUEEN, AND URSA MAJOR (WHICH INCLUDES THE STARS FROM THE BIG DIPPER). 40 00:02:01,988 --> 00:02:04,424 DEAN: BUT THE BIG DIPPER CAN GET LOW IN THE SKY 41 00:02:04,524 --> 00:02:06,693 IN ITS NIGHTLY JOURNEY AROUND POLARIS. 42 00:02:06,793 --> 00:02:11,164 SO, WHILE MOST NIGHTS YOU CAN SEE THE BIG DIPPER SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTHERN SKY, FOR 43 00:02:11,264 --> 00:02:14,767 ABOUT TWO MONTHS, IT CAN SKIM ACROSS THE HORIZON AND BE BLOCKED 44 00:02:14,868 --> 00:02:17,403 BY TREES, BUILDINGS, OR THE GROUND ITSELF. 45 00:02:17,504 --> 00:02:19,873 JAMES: AND SO, ON NOVEMBER EVENINGS, YOU WILL HAVE 46 00:02:19,973 --> 00:02:21,774 A HARD TIME FINDING THE BIG DIPPER. 47 00:02:21,875 --> 00:02:23,676 MAN, THAT S A BUMMER! 48 00:02:23,776 --> 00:02:26,880 DEAN: NOW THIS ANNUAL DISAPPEARANCE OF THE BIG DIPPER 49 00:02:26,980 --> 00:02:29,482 IS DESCRIBED IN SOME NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHS. 50 00:02:29,582 --> 00:02:33,186 INSTEAD OF A BIG SPOON, THEY SAW A BIG BEAR. 51 00:02:33,286 --> 00:02:36,756 NOW THE NORMAL PICTURE OF THE BEAR SHOWS THE BODY WITH 52 00:02:36,856 --> 00:02:38,424 A LONG STRETCHED OUT TAIL. 53 00:02:38,525 --> 00:02:40,960 JAMES: BUT OTHER NATIVE AMERICAN GROUPS PICTURED 54 00:02:41,060 --> 00:02:42,762 IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. 55 00:02:42,862 --> 00:02:47,500 THE IROQUOIS TRIBES SAW THE FOUR STARS IN THE SPOON AS THE BEAR, AND THE THREE STARS 56 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:49,002 IN THE HANDLE AS THREE HUNTERS. 57 00:02:49,102 --> 00:02:51,204 DEAN: THE FIRST HUNTER IS CARRYING A BOW 58 00:02:51,304 --> 00:02:52,805 AND ARROW. 59 00:02:52,906 --> 00:02:56,509 THE SECOND IS CARRYING A POT. AND THE THIRD IS CARRYING STICKS TO MAKE A 60 00:02:56,609 --> 00:02:57,610 FIRE. 61 00:02:57,710 --> 00:02:59,479 JAMES: LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE SECOND HUNTER. 62 00:02:59,579 --> 00:03:05,151 THE BRIGHT STAR IS CALLED MIZAR, BUT IF YOU SQUINT, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SEE A DIMMER STAR 63 00:03:05,251 --> 00:03:06,619 ABOVE IT. 64 00:03:06,719 --> 00:03:10,723 THAT IS THE STAR ALCOR AND IT CAN BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE TOO. 65 00:03:10,823 --> 00:03:14,661 MIZAR CAN BE THE HUNTER AND ALCOR IS THE POT ON HIS SHOULDER. 66 00:03:14,761 --> 00:03:17,964 JAMES: AS THE NIGHT MOVES ON, IT LOOKS LIKE THE HUNTERS 67 00:03:18,064 --> 00:03:19,799 ARE CHASING THE BEAR. 68 00:03:19,899 --> 00:03:24,237 LEGEND HAS IT THAT WHEN THE BEAR IS TOO LOW IN THE SKY AND BECOMES INVISIBLE, THAT THE 69 00:03:24,337 --> 00:03:27,707 HUNTER FINALLY CAUGHT HIM. AND THIS HAPPENS ON THE EVENINGS OF OCTOBER 70 00:03:27,807 --> 00:03:29,375 AND NOVEMBER EVERY YEAR. 71 00:03:29,475 --> 00:03:31,978 DEAN: AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE TREES EVERY OCTOBER 72 00:03:32,078 --> 00:03:35,481 AND NOVEMBER IN THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES? 73 00:03:35,582 --> 00:03:40,286 STORY-TELLERS WOULD POINT TO THE CHANGING LEAVES AS EVIDENCE OF THE COSMIC BATTLE. 74 00:03:40,386 --> 00:03:41,454 JAMES: EXACTLY! 75 00:03:41,554 --> 00:03:43,957 NOW THIS MAY BE A LITTLE GROSS BUT 76 00:03:44,057 --> 00:03:48,595 THEY WOULD SAY THAT THE FIRST HUNTER HAD SHOT AND KILLED THE BEAR, AND ITS BLOOD FELL FROM 77 00:03:48,695 --> 00:03:53,233 THE SKY AND TURNED THE LEAVES ON THE TREES ORANGE AND BROWN AND RED. 78 00:03:53,333 --> 00:03:55,768 DEAN: AND THAT S WHY YOU CAN T SEE THE BIG DIPPER 79 00:03:55,868 --> 00:03:57,070 IN THE NIGHT SKY THIS FALL. 80 00:03:57,170 --> 00:03:58,972 BUT DON T WORRY, IT WILL BE BACK. 81 00:03:59,072 --> 00:04:01,507 JAMES: IN FACT, IF YOU STAY UP PAST MIDNIGHT YOU 82 00:04:01,608 --> 00:04:03,109 CAN SEE IT STANDING ON ITS HANDLE. 83 00:04:03,209 --> 00:04:06,012 DEAN: AND EVERY SPRING THE BEAR COMES BACK TO LIFE, 84 00:04:06,112 --> 00:04:09,148 THE HUNTERS RESUME THEIR CHASE, AND THE LEAVES RETURN TO THE TREES. 85 00:04:09,249 --> 00:04:11,351 JAMES: THE CIRCLE OF LIFE IN THE STARS. 86 00:04:11,451 --> 00:04:12,752 IT S ALL THERE WHEN YOU 87 00:04:12,852 --> 00:04:16,852 BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!