1 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:22,288 THE SUPER SPRING TRIANGLE 2 00:00:22,389 --> 00:00:27,527 JAMES: HEY THERE STAR GAZERS, I M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM 3 00:00:27,627 --> 00:00:29,029 IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA. 4 00:00:29,129 --> 00:00:31,798 DEAN: AND I M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY. 5 00:00:31,898 --> 00:00:35,135 WE RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOU WAY AROUND THE SKY TONIGHT. 6 00:00:35,235 --> 00:00:39,506 IT S THE MIDDLE OF SPRING AND THREE BRIGHT STARS ARE TAKING CENTER STAGE. 7 00:00:39,606 --> 00:00:43,009 JAMES: IT S CALLED THE SPRING TRIANGLE AND IT S HUGE! 8 00:00:43,109 --> 00:00:48,448 COVERING ONE-SIXTH OF THE SKY, THE SPRING TRIANGLE INCORPORATES THREE ANCIENT CONSTELLATIONS. 9 00:00:48,548 --> 00:00:51,618 THERE S A LION, A HERDSMAN, AND A MAIDEN UP THERE. 10 00:00:51,718 --> 00:00:53,219 DEAN: NOW, I LL BE HONEST. 11 00:00:53,319 --> 00:00:56,856 IT S REALLY TOUGH TO SEE A LION, A HERDSMAN, AND A MAIDEN IN THOSE STARS. 12 00:00:56,956 --> 00:00:59,526 BUT EVEN THOUGH I DON T HAVE THE REQUIRED IMAGINATION 13 00:00:59,626 --> 00:01:01,661 JAMES: I DON T KNOW IF ANYONE DOES 14 00:01:01,761 --> 00:01:04,164 DEAN: THE THREE STARS ARE EASY TO FIND. 15 00:01:04,264 --> 00:01:06,900 JAMES: AND AT LEAST YOU LL KNOW WHERE THESE CONSTELLATIONS LIVE. 16 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,268 DEAN: WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? 17 00:01:08,368 --> 00:01:09,702 LET S SHOW YOU. 18 00:01:09,803 --> 00:01:13,606 DEAN: OKAY, WE RE FACING SOUTHEAST AT 10PM ANY NIGHT THIS WEEK. 19 00:01:13,706 --> 00:01:18,144 WE HAVE THE SUPER-WIDE-ANGLE VIEW ON, SINCE THE SPRING TRIANGLE IS HUGE. 20 00:01:18,244 --> 00:01:23,116 JAMES: IF YOU LIVE IN A CITY, THE THREE STARS IN THE SPRING TRIANGLE MIGHT BE ALL YOU CAN 21 00:01:23,216 --> 00:01:27,220 SEE. AND THERE THEY ARE, 1, 2, AND 3. 22 00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:29,589 DEAN: WE LL START WITH THE STAR ON THE FAR RIGHT. 23 00:01:29,689 --> 00:01:33,860 THAT S REGULUS, THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE CONSTELLATION OF LEO THE LION. 24 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:38,598 YOU USUALLY START SEEING REGULUS EARLY IN THE SPRING AND IT SHINES WITH A BLUE-WHITE 25 00:01:38,698 --> 00:01:40,333 LIGHT. 26 00:01:40,433 --> 00:01:44,404 JAMES: THE STAR FARTHEST TO THE LEFT, AND THE BRIGHTEST OF THE TRIO IS ARCTURUS. 27 00:01:44,504 --> 00:01:48,141 ARCTURUS IS THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE HERDSMAN NAMED BOOTES. 28 00:01:48,241 --> 00:01:52,512 IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY, YOU LL NOTICE THAT ARCTURUS IS QUITE ORANGE - A VERY DIFFERENT 29 00:01:52,612 --> 00:01:54,380 COLOR THAN REGULUS. 30 00:01:54,481 --> 00:01:58,852 DEAN: AND THE THIRD STAR IN THE SPRING TRIANGLE IS SPICA, THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN VIRGO THE 31 00:01:58,952 --> 00:02:00,153 MAIDEN. 32 00:02:00,253 --> 00:02:03,223 SPICA IS THE DIMMEST OF THE THREE AND THE BLUEST TOO. 33 00:02:03,323 --> 00:02:08,027 JAMES: LET S COMPARE THE THREE STARS IN THE SPRING TRIANGLE TO OUR SUN. 34 00:02:08,128 --> 00:02:14,334 THE SUN IS ABOUT 865,000 MILES IN DIAMETER AND LIES ABOUT 93 MILLION MILES AWAY. 35 00:02:14,434 --> 00:02:17,303 THAT S THE DISTANCE LIGHT TRAVELS IN 8 MINUTES. 36 00:02:17,403 --> 00:02:20,039 SO WE D SAY THAT THE SUN IS 8 LIGHT MINUTES AWAY. 37 00:02:20,140 --> 00:02:24,077 DEAN: THE SUN IS DINKY COMPARED TO THE THREE SPRING TRIANGLE STARS. 38 00:02:24,177 --> 00:02:30,950 REGULUS, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THREE TIMES THE DIAMETER OF THE SUN, SHINES 288 TIMES BRIGHTER AND 39 00:02:31,050 --> 00:02:33,253 IS 79 LIGHT YEARS AWAY. 40 00:02:33,353 --> 00:02:39,993 SO INSTEAD OF 93 MILLION MILES, REGULUS MORE THAN 460 TRILLION MILES AWAY. 41 00:02:40,093 --> 00:02:41,895 JAMES: YIKES! 42 00:02:41,995 --> 00:02:47,100 SPICA IS EVEN BIGGER AT 7.5 TIMES THE DIAMETER OF OUR SUN, SHINES TWENTY-TWO HUNDRED TIMES 43 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,036 BRIGHTER AND LIES 250 LIGHT YEARS AWAY. 44 00:02:50,136 --> 00:02:51,638 THAT S EQUAL TO ABOUT 1.5 QUADRILLION MILES! 45 00:02:51,738 --> 00:02:54,941 DEAN: AND THAT LEAVES ARCTURUS. 46 00:02:55,041 --> 00:03:00,780 IT IS BY FAR THE LARGEST OF THESE STARS AT 25 TIMES THE SUN S DIAMETER. 47 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,950 SINCE IT IS AN ORANGE STAR, IT S NOT AS HOT AS THE OTHERS. 48 00:03:04,050 --> 00:03:09,722 SO WHILE IT STILL SHINES 170 TIMES BRIGHTER THAN OUR SUN, IT DOESN T GIVE OFF NEARLY 49 00:03:09,822 --> 00:03:13,026 AS MUCH ENERGY AS THE HOTTER REGULUS AND SPICA. 50 00:03:13,126 --> 00:03:18,231 JAMES: ARCTURUS IS THE CLOSEST OF THE THREE SPRING TRIANGLE STARS AT AROUND 37 LIGHT YEARS. 51 00:03:18,331 --> 00:03:21,534 BUT THAT S STILL LIKE 217 TRILLION MILES. 52 00:03:21,634 --> 00:03:23,069 DEAN: BUT WHO S COUNTING? 53 00:03:23,169 --> 00:03:27,874 DEAN: WE RE ZOOMED IN ON REGULUS AND ITS CONSTELLATION LEO. 54 00:03:27,974 --> 00:03:32,812 WHEN I CONNECT THE DOTS ON THE MAIN STARS, I GUESS I CAN SEE A LION SITTING WITH HIS 55 00:03:32,912 --> 00:03:34,647 FRONT PAWS STRETCHED OUT. 56 00:03:34,747 --> 00:03:40,220 WELL, IT S CERTAINLY EASIER TO IMAGINE THAN A HERDSMAN OR A MAIDEN - JUST YOU WAIT AND 57 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:42,021 SEE. 58 00:03:42,121 --> 00:03:45,325 THE LION HAS A BACKWARD QUESTION MARK FOR A HEAD ABOVE REGULUS, AND A TRIANGLE FOR A 59 00:03:45,425 --> 00:03:46,893 TAIL. 60 00:03:46,993 --> 00:03:50,263 AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE NEMEAN LION THAT WAS KILLED BY HERCULES. 61 00:03:50,363 --> 00:03:52,498 WHEW, THAT MUST VE BEEN SOME BATTLE! 62 00:03:52,599 --> 00:03:57,537 JAMES: NOW WE RE LOOKING AT THE STAR ARCTURUS AND ITS CONSTELLATION OF BOOTES. 63 00:03:57,637 --> 00:04:01,574 DEAN S RIGHT, I CAN T SEE A HERDSMAN IN THESE STARS AT ALL. 64 00:04:01,674 --> 00:04:06,246 INSTEAD, I LOOK FOR STARS THAT MAKE A KITE-SHAPE OR AN ICE CREAM CONE. 65 00:04:06,346 --> 00:04:12,118 THEN, DOWN AND TO THE RIGHT OF BOOTES, YOU CAN FIND SPICA AND THE STARS OF VIRGO THE 66 00:04:12,218 --> 00:04:13,987 MAIDEN. 67 00:04:14,087 --> 00:04:17,690 SHE IS OFTEN DEPICTED AS A GODDESS LYING ON HER SIDE HOLDING A PIECE OF WHEAT, THE STAR 68 00:04:17,790 --> 00:04:19,492 SPICA. 69 00:04:19,592 --> 00:04:22,195 IF YOU CAN SEE A HERDSMAN AND A MAIDEN IN THESE STARS, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE AN 70 00:04:22,295 --> 00:04:24,063 ANCIENT GREEK IMAGINATION! 71 00:04:24,163 --> 00:04:26,032 DEAN: SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, THE THREE BRIGHTEST STARS IN THE SPRING SKY MAKING A HUMONGOUS 72 00:04:26,132 --> 00:04:27,634 TRIANGLE COVERING 1/6 OF THE HEAVENS. 73 00:04:27,734 --> 00:04:29,269 REGULUS, ARCTURUS, AND SPICA. 74 00:04:29,369 --> 00:04:31,738 JAMES: AND ALTHOUGH YOU MAY HAVE TROUBLE SEEING LEO THE LION AROUND REGULUS 75 00:04:31,838 --> 00:04:33,606 DEAN: BOOTES THE HERDMAN AROUND ARCTURUS 76 00:04:33,706 --> 00:04:34,841 JAMES: OR VIRGO THE MAIDEN AROUND SPICA, YOU CAN APPRECIATE THESE THREE CELESTIAL BEACONS 77 00:04:34,941 --> 00:04:37,777 FOR WHAT THEY ARE: FASCINATING AND FAR-FLUNG STARS. 78 00:04:37,877 --> 00:04:38,778 IT S ALL THERE WHEN YOU 79 00:04:38,878 --> 00:04:42,878 BOTH: .KEEP LOOKING UP!