JAMES: HEY THERE STAR GAZERS.
I'M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA SILVA
PLA PLANETARIUM IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA.
DEAN: AND I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR THE
CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND
THE SKY.
IT'S ALMOST THE 4TH OF JULY AND WE'RE READY
TO CELEBRATE THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE.
JAMES: THAT'S RIGHT, DEAN!
I'M READY TO GET OUTSIDE ON A WARM NIGHT,
KICK BACK IN A LAWN CHAIR, AND WATCH SOME
FIREWORKS.
DEAN: BUT AFTER THE FIREWORKS WHY NOT TO STAY
OUT A LITTLE LATER AND WATCH THE STARS.
AND WE CAN CHECK OUT A RED STAR, A WHITE ONE,
AND A BLUE ONE.
JAMES: PLUS THE MOON WILL SHINE, LIGHTING
UP THE NIGHT, ALONG WITH TWO GIANT PLANETS.
DEAN: IT SHOULD BE A BUSY NIGHT.
LET'S HEAD TO THE SKY!
DEAN: OKAY, WE HAVE OUR SKY SET TO JULY 4TH
AT 11PM.
I KNOW IT GETS DARK REALLY LATE IN THE HEART
OF SUMMER.
BUT IT HAS TO BE DARK TO SEE FIREWORKS RIGHT?
JAMES: CUE THE FIREWORKS!
BOTH: OOOH, AAAHH
DEAN: AND AFTER THE GRAND FINALE, AFTER THE
SMOKE CLEARS, FACE SOUTH AND YOU'LL SEE A
WAXING GIBBOUS MOON ABOUT HALFWAY UP IN THE
SKY.
JAMES: THE MOON WILL BE ALMOST 250,000 MILES
FROM EARTH THAT NIGHT, BUT LET'S FLY UP FOR
A CLOSER LOOK.
DEAN: IF YOU LIKE EXPLOSIONS, CHECK OUT THE
MOON.
LOOK AT ALL THOSE CRATERS!
THE MOON HAS BEEN BOMBARDED BY METEOROIDS
EVER SINCE IT WAS FORMED, AND THEY LEFT HUGE
HOLES ON THE LUNAR SURFACE.
JAMES: THE LARGEST IMPACTS CREATED THE DARKER
AREAS ON THE MOON - WHAT WE CALL THE SEAS.
THE METEOROIDS HIT THE MOON SO HARD THAT THEY
CRACKED THE SURFACE; LAVA ERUPTED TO THE SURFACE,
AND COOLED INTO THE FLAT DARK AREAS.
THEY'RE NOT REALLY SEAS OF WATER, BUT THEY
MADE INTRIGUING PLACES TO EXPLORE.
DEAN: TAKE THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY OVER THERE.
THAT IS WHERE NEIL ARMSTRONG AND BUZZ ALDRIN
LANDED ON THE MOON IN 1969.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE MOON, I OFTEN THINK, WOW,
WE ACTUALLY WENT THERE! AND I CAN IMAGINE
BOUNDING ACROSS THE LUNAR SURFACE.
DEAN: THERE ARE TWO PLANETS OUT THERE AS WELL.
GIANT JUPITER IS IN THE SOUTHWEST, LOOKING
LIKE A SUSPICIOUSLY-BRIGHT, CREAM-COLORED
STAR...
JAMES: AND THE RINGED PLANET SATURN IS IN
THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST.
IT DOESNT STAND OUT AS MUCH AS JUPITER, BUT
IT GLOWS WITH A STEADY YELLOW LIGHT.
DEAN: NOW THAT WE'RE IN A PATRIOTIC MOOD,
LET'S LOOK AT A RED STAR, A WHITE STAR, AND
A BLUE STAR ON THE 4TH OF JULY.
OUR RED STAR IS BELOW THE MOON AND A LITTLE
TO THE LEFT.
ITS NAME IS ANTARES AND IT SHOULD TWINKLE
LIKE CRAZY.
JAMES: THIS STAR MARKS THE BEATING HEART OF
THE CONSTELLATION SCORPIUS THE SCORPION.
AND AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT YOU MAY BE ABLE
TO MAKE OUT THE SCORPIONS BODY AND TAIL ABOVE
THE HORIZON.
THE CLAWS ARE REACHING OUT TO GRAB THE MOON.
DEAN: THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE A SCORPION!
JAMES: I KNOW, RIGHT?!
JAMES: TO SEE A GREAT WHITE STAR, TURN TO
THE EAST AND LOOK HIGH IN THE SKY FOR A BIG,
BRIGHT TRIANGLE OF THREE STARS.
THAT IS THE SUMMER TRIANGLE.
THE FAINTEST OF THE THREE STARS IS WHITE IN
COLOR AND NAMED DENEB, AND IT HAS QUITE A
STORY.
DEAN: THAT'S RIGHT, JAMES.
DENEB MARKS THE TAIL OF CYGNUS THE SWAN AND
IS PERHAPS THE FARTHEST STAR YOU CAN SEE WITH
THE NAKED EYE.
IT COULD BE OVER 3000 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH.
THAT IS ABOUT 17 QUADRILLION MILES!
JAMES: AND OUR BLUE STAR FOR THE 4TH OF JULY
IS NEARBY.
IT'S THE TOP-STAR IN THE TRIANGLE, AND BRIGHTEST
OF THE THREE.
THAT IS VEGA THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE LITTLE
CONSTELLATION LYRA THE HARP.
ITS BLUE COLOR MAKES A NICE CONTRAST TO RED
ANTARES.
DEAN: YOU CAN SEE THE MOON, TWO PLANETS, AND
RED, WHITE, AND BLUE STARS ALL WEEK.
NOT JUST ON THE 4TH OF JULY.
JAMES: BUT IF YOU STAY UP LATE AFTER THE FIREWORKS,
GET COMFORTABLE FOR A REAL STELLAR SHOW.
YOU'LL SEE THE WAXING GIBBOUS MOON HALFWAY
UP IN THE SOUTH
DEAN: JUPITER IN THE SOUTHWEST, SATURN IN
THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST
JAMES: RED ANTARES IN THE SOUTH, DOWN AND
TO THE LEFT OF THE MOON
DEAN: AND WHITE DENEB AND BLUE VEGA IN THE
SUMMER TRIANGLE IN THE EAST.
JAMES: WHAT A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE THE 4TH
OF JULY.
ITS ALL THERE WHEN YOU
BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP!