DEAN:
HEY THERE STAR GAZERS.

I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR
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 TONIGHT.

HEY DEAN, THE SUN RISES IN THE EAST AND SETS
IN THE WEST RIGHT?

DEAN:
FOR THE MOST PART.

JAMES:
AND THE MOON, PLANETS, AND STARS RISE IN THE

EAST AND SET IN THE WEST TOO?

DEAN:
UH HUH.

JAMES:
SO HOW DO THE STARS MOVE IN THE NORTH

AND SOUTH?

DEAN:
OH, I SEE WHERE THIS

IS GOING.

WE'RE GONNA DO SOME SPINNING IN THIS EPISODE
AREN'T WE?

JAMES:
YEP.

FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THE STARS AND
CONSTELLATIONS YOU CAN FIND WHEN YOU FACE

NORTH AND SOUTH AFTER DARK.

DEAN:
AND THEN WE'LL DEMONSTRATE HOW THE SKY SEEMS

TO MOVE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NIGHT IN EACH
DIRECTION.

HOLD ON TIGHT,
LET'S GET SPINNING!

JAMES:
OKAY WE HAVE OUR SKY SET TO 10PM FACING NORTH

ANY NIGHT
THIS WEEK.

WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE?

DEAN:
THE BIG DIPPER, OF COURSE!

IT'S ABOUT HALFWAY UP IN THE NORTHWESTERN
SKY.

FOUR BRIGHTER STARS MAKE A CUP AND THREE MORE
MAKE A

CURVED HANDLE.

JAMES:
AND SINCE WE'RE FACING NORTH, THE NORTH STAR,

OR POLARIS SHOULD BE HERE TOO.

IT'S NOT TERRIBLY BRIGHT BUT IT SHOULD
BE AS BRIGHT AS THE

BIG DIPPER STARS.

THERE IT IS, ABOUT HALFWAY UP IN THE SKY.

DEAN:
THE NORTH STAR IS PART OF THE LITTLE DIPPER,

BUT GOOD LUCK TRYING TO FIND THAT.

FOUR OF ITS SEVEN STARS ARE TOO FAINT
TO SEE IN MOST CITIES.

JAMES:
BUT FINDING THE NORTH STAR IS SIMPLE WHEN

YOU HAVE THE BIG DIPPER AROUND.

SIMPLY CONNECT THE DOTS ON THE TWO SPOON STARS,
CONTINUE THAT LINE OVER TO THE RIGHT, AND

YOU WILL RUN SMACK DAB INTO THE NORTH STAR.

DEAN:
AND IF YOU CONTINUE THAT LINE, HOP OVER TO

ANOTHER RECOGNIZABLE GROUP OF STARS.

JAMES:
THEY LOOK LIKE THE LETTER W.

DEAN:
YEP AND THIS IS THE CONSTELLATION CASSIOPEIA

THE QUEEN.

I KNOW IT DOESN'T LOOK MUCH LIKE A QUEEN
BUT THE W CAN BE

HER CROWN.

JAMES:
OOH, I CAN PICTURE THAT.

BUT THE CROWN LOOKS BENT ON ONE SIDE.

DEAN:
AH, I'LL SHOW YOU WHY AS WE GO FOR A SPIN.

DEAN:
AS THE NIGHT MOVES ON THE STARS IN THE NORTH

MOVE LIKE THIS.

NOTICE THEY SEEM TO ROTATE AROUND A CENTRAL
POINT -

THE NORTH STAR.

IT'S ALSO CALLED POLARIS BECAUSE IT'S OUR
POLE STAR, THE STAR THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE

ABOVE OUR NORTH POLE.

JAMES:
YEAH, LIKE 432 LIGHT YEARS ABOVE OUR NORTH

POLE.

BUT AS THE EARTH SPINS, THE STARS SEEM TO
MAKE A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE CIRCLE AROUND THIS

SPOT.

AS THE NIGHT ROLLS ON, THE BIG DIPPER GETS
LOWER WHILE CASSIOPEIA RISES UP HIGHER.

DEAN:
AS DAYTIME COMES ON, THE STARS ARE STILL THERE.

WE JUST CAN'T SEE THEM WITH ALL THE SUNLIGHT.

BUT THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE AROUND POLARIS AND
AS WE MOVE TOWARD AFTERNOON, THE BIG DIPPER

IS HIGH
IN THE SKY AND CASSIOPEIA

BONK!

JAMES:
BONKS HER HEAD ON THE GROUND.

AAH, THAT'S WHY HER CROWN IS BENT.

DEAN:
EXACTLY!

JAMES:
NOW LET'S FACE SOUTH.

IT'S 10PM AND WE HAVE TWO GREAT SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS
JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON.

SCORPIUS IS ON THE RIGHT AND SAGITTARIUS IS
ON THE LEFT.

DEAN:
YOU CAN RECOGNIZE SCORPIUS BY THE BRIGHT RED,

SUPERGIANT STAR CALLED ANTARES.

ANTARES CAN BE REALLY TWINKLY WHEN IT'S LOW
IN THE SKY AND THUS STANDS IN FOR THE SCORPION'S

BEATING HEART.

JAMES:
CHASING THE SCORPION IS THE CONSTELLATION

SAGITTARIUS THE ARCHER.

HE'S A CENTAUR, HALF MAN, HALF HORSE, WITH
AN ARROW NOTCHED IN HIS BOW.

IN REALITY, THE STARS YOU CAN SEE LOOK MORE
LIKE A TEA POT THAN A CENTAUR.

DEAN:
YOU SHOULD ALSO SEE TWO OTHER BRIGHT, NIGHT

LIGHTS IN
THE SOUTH.

THOSE ARE THE PLANETS
JUPITER IN THE CONSTELLATION OPHIUCHUS,

AND SATURN IS IN SAGITTARIUS .

JAMES:
COOL! AND DON'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE THE MOON

PASSING THROUGH THESE PLANETS IN A COUPLE
OF WEEKS.

JAMES:
SO IN THE SOUTH LOOK FOR SCORPIUS AND SAGITTARIUS

WITH THE PLANETS JUPITER AND SATURN AMONG
THE STARS.

DEAN:
AND IN THE NORTH LOOK FOR THE BIG DIPPER,

POLARIS, AND CASSIOPEIA.

HEY JAMES, CAN WE SPIN THE EARTH REALLY FAST
JUST FOR FUN?

JAMES:
AND SHOW DAYS AND NIGHTS FLY BY?

DEAN:
UH HUH.

JAMES:
OKAY, HOLD ON

BOTH: AAAAH!

BOTH:
KEEP LOOKING UP!