STAR GAZER
THE INTERNATIONAL EDITION
Lorain County JVS NASA CORE / 15181 Route 58 South / 440/775-1400
/ FAX 440/775-1460 / nasaco@leeca.org / http://core.nasa.gov
Horkheimer: Greetings, greetings fellow star gazers. You know almost any school child can tell you that there are nine planets. And in their order out from the Sun they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Now all the planets farther away from the Sun than our Earth are called the superior planets and the other two planets, Mercury and Venus, are called the inferior planets because they are closer to the Sun than our Earth. And this month the two inferior planets are going to slowly approach each other day after day and on June 21st, the first day of summer they will meet and snuggle right up next to each other. Let me show you.
O.K., if we could place the two inferior planets and our Earth side by side we would immediately notice that the second inferior planet Venus is almost exactly the same size as our Earth 8,000 miles wide. And the innermost planet Mercury, is much smaller, a mere 3,000 miles wide, larger only than Pluto. Now our Earth is a very comfortable 93 million miles away from the Sun, which makes temperatures on our Earth ideal for all sorts of life. Venus, however, is much closer to the Sun only 67 million miles away, and because it is eternally enshrouded in clouds it acts like a giant greenhouse which makes surface temperatures on Venus hot enough to melt lead. Mercury the closest planet, only 36 million miles from the Sun is even hotter on its daytime side and would definitely be a place you'd scratch off your tourist list.
Now because Mercury and Venus are closer to the Sun they orbit it much faster than Earth and thus are periodically seen alternating between above the western horizon just after sunset and above the eastern horizon just before sunrise, as is the case right now. So look east any morning this week, 40 minutes before sunrise, and very close to the horizon you'll see brilliant Venus only 4 degrees away from dim dinky Mercury. Which means we could fit 8 full moons between them because a full moon is 1/2 a degree wide. Now you'll notice that day after day Mercury will rise a little bit higher. And by Sunday June 15th Venus and Mercury will be only three degrees apart which means that we could fit 6 full moons between them. On Monday only five full moons would fit between them. On Tuesday only 4 1/2 and on Wednesday only 3 1/2. Thursday they really start to close in, only 2 1/2 full moons could fit between them and on Friday the 20th only one. But ta da! The next day, the big day, Saturday June 21st, the first day of summer, they will be so close, less than 1/2 a degree apart, that not even one full moon could fit between them. Wow! Once again Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and ta da! Saturday the 21st, the day of the summer solstice, the two inferior planets meet. Don't miss this! I'm Jack Horkheimer, Keep Looking Up!
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Horkheimer: On June 21st, the first day of
summer, the two inferior planets, Mercury and Venus will have
a super close meeting. And you can watch them move closer to each
other every day! Look east before sunrise this week and they'll
be only 4 degrees away from each other, which is 8 full moons
apart because a full moon is 1/2 a degree. On the 15th they'll
be only 3 degrees or 6 full moons apart, Monday 5 full moons apart,
Tuesday 4 1/2, Wednesday 3 1/2, Thursday 2 1/2 and Friday only
1 full moon could fit between them. But ta da!, on Saturday the
21st, the first day of summer, they'll be so close not even 1
full moon could fit between them. Wow! Keep Looking Up!
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* This week's Sky At A Glance and
Planet Roundup from Sky & Telescope.
This week's Sky At A Glance displays current week only.
Starry Night Deluxe was used to produce this episode
of Star Gazer
Lorain County JVS NASA CORE / 15181 Route 58 South / 440/775-1400 / FAX 440/775-1460 / nasaco@leeca.org / http://core.nasa.gov
Horkheimer: Greetings, greetings fellow star gazers. Next week
on the 19th I'd like you to officially begin your Mars watch because
the Moon will be parked right next to it. Plus I'd also like you
to make friends with 3 incredibly bright stars, arranged in a
triangle, that always announce the beginning of summer. Let me
show you.
O.K., we've got our skies set up for Wednesday June 18th, an hour before sunrise facing south where you will see a wonderful waning gibbous, 19 day old Moon only 10 degrees away from an object that is 11 times brighter than it was on January 1st and is getting brighter every single morning, our old friend the 4,000 mile wide red planet Mars which by the end of June will be almost 100% brighter than it was at the beginning of June, because it is racing toward its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years. And if you want to see a really lovely sky pairing on Thursday the 19th, a 20 day old Moon will be parked right underneath Mars and will take your breath away. Plus if you watch Mars every morning before sunrise, by June 30th Mars will be as bright as the brightest star we can see from Earth, Sirius, winter's dog star. On June 1st Mars was 70 million miles away but by June 30th it will be only 52 1/2 million miles from our planet, that's 17 1/2 million miles closer in one month!
And now if you'd like to see something that
always announces the beginning of summer every year, go out Saturday
night June 21st the first night of summer or any night the next
couple of weeks, just after dark, face east, and you will see
a trio of three brilliant stars just above the horizon. Which
if we could draw lines between them would form a gigantic triangle
we call "The Summer Triangle". And every year during
the first week of summer, just like clockwork, you will see these
three stars hovering above the eastern horizon like a cosmic announcement
that summer is beginning. The brightest star is Vega in the tiny
constellation Lyra the Harp. The second brightest is Altair in
the constellation Aquila the eagle and the third brightest is
Deneb, the tail star of Cygnus the Swan also known as the Northern
Cross. And once you've found them, if you go out once a week,
at the same time, all summer long you will notice that this great
triangle is slightly higher each week and will continue to climb
higher and higher so that by mid September it will be just past
overhead announcing that summer is over and a new season autumn
is about to begin. So, start your summer right with the Summer
Triangle and make it a nightly constant companion throughout this
summer of 2003. And don't forget to begin your Mars watch now
because by the end of August no human being on Earth will have
ever seen Mars so close and so bright. I'm Jack Horkheimer, Keep
Looking Up!
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Horkheimer: Early morning is Mars time plus
3 bright stars announce the beginning of summer. On the 19th an
exquisite Moon will pair with brilliant Mars, which brightens
almost 100% from June 1st to the 30th because it will move 17
million miles closer, and will become as bright as the brightest
star Sirius. On the 21st, the first night of summer, face east
and you'll see the 3 brilliant stars we call the Summer Triangle
because every year during the first week of summer, you'll see
them hovering above the eastern horizon like a cosmic announcement
that summer is here! Start your Mars watch now and look for the
Summer Triangle. Keep Looking Up!
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* This week's Sky At A Glance and
Planet Roundup from Sky & Telescope.Starry Night Deluxe was used to produce this episode
of Star GazerLorain County JVS NASA CORE / 15181 Route 58 South / 440/775-1400 / FAX 440/775-1460 / nasaco@leeca.org / http://core.nasa.gov
Horkheimer: Greetings, greetings fellow star gazers. Every year on the summer solstice we ask you to participate in watching and experiencing a great star rise over our earth's horizon. A star so huge we could fit over 1 and 1/4 million Earth's inside it. We ask you to experience something that few people ever pay close attention to. And that is the rising of the only star we can see in the daytime, the star we call our Sun, a star I like to call our "Day Star".
This year we have chosen Saturday, June 21st as "Daystar Day" because it is the day of the summer solstice, the first day of summer and a day when most people don't have to go to work. Now I know that some of you are thinking, "you're talking about a sunrise and I've seen thousands of sunrises." and yes I am talking about a sunrise. But believe it or not, most people in our high tech society have never really experienced a sunrise. Oh yes there are millions of you out there who get up at the crack of dawn for a days work, farmers starting their chores, commuters catching their trains or jamming the expressways as the Sun slowly creeps over the horizon. But that is not experiencing a sunrise because to most people sunrise is simply a peripheral event and not the center of attention.
So that's why we set aside one day each year as "Daystar Day" so you can experience one of the grandest events in nature, an experience which may change the way you view our star the Sun and our world forever. To participate here's all you have to do. Simply mark Saturday June 21st as the day you'll get up 15 minutes before twilight begins, while it's still dark out. And whether you live in the heart of a city or out in the country makes no difference because it's not the Sun itself you're going to observe but the effects of sunrise on everything around you as night slowly turns into day. It is better to be outside but if not just sit by an open window.
Now for the rules, which are absolutely essential:
no radio, no television, no doing your normal wake up routine.
All distractions must be eliminated. Simply sit quietly inside
or outside and when you see the skies slowly start to brighten,
look, listen and feel what happens all around you because a sunrise
is not just visual. In fact you will hear the sounds of our world
and its creatures waking up. You'll feel the wind change, the
temperature change, and much, much more as night slowly slips
into day. Keep track of all the subtle changes you notice and
record your observations on paper or into a tape recorder. And
then read or listen to your observations a few days later. And
believe me, if you've never done this before, you're in for a
pleasant surprise because really experiencing the effects of a
sunrise using all of your senses and your full attention is one
of the most wonderful experiences this planet has to offer. Trust
me you'll be amazed at what a star rise over a small planet can
do for you. I'm Jack Horkheimer, Keep Looking Up!
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Horkheimer: Every year on the first day of
summer we ask you to celebrate the rising of our local star the
Sun because most people have never really experienced a sunrise.
So this Saturday get up before twilight begins to observe not
the Sun itself but the incredible effects of a sunrise on everything
all around you. Forget your normal routine. Sit quietly and tune
in with all your senses. Listen to the different sounds of nature
as our earth and its creatures wake up. Feel the wind and temperature
change and watch the delicate interplay of light, color and shadow.
Trust me, if you've never done this before, you'll be amazed at
what you've missed. Happy "Day Star Day" and Keep Looking
Up!
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* This week's Sky At A Glance and
Planet Roundup from Sky & Telescope.Starry Night Deluxe was used to produce this episode
of Star GazerLorain County JVS NASA CORE / 15181 Route 58 South / 440/775-1400 / FAX 440/775-1460 / nasaco@leeca.org / http://core.nasa.gov
Horkheimer: Greetings, greetings fellow star gazers. And have we got some goodies for you to open up July. Because on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd a crescent Moon will glide past Jupiter and on Independence Day, July 4th our Sun will be at its dimmest. Plus on July 10th our nearest neighbor will park next to the rival of Mars. Let me show you.
O.K., we've got our skies set up for Tuesday July 1st at dusk, which means just before it gets dark out facing west where if you have a clear flat horizon you will see, just above the remnants of sunset, an absolutely exquisite slender sliver of a crescent Moon complete with earthshine which means that the bright crescent will look like it's cradling a full but dark Moon. The next night Wednesday July 2nd will be even more spectacular because then a slightly fatter crescent complete with earthshine will hover directly above the most brilliant object in the western sky our old friend the king, 88,000 mile wide Jupiter. Which is always a sight to see in even the cheapest department store telescope because you can watch its brightest Moons as they move in orbit around Jupiter and shuffle back and forth constantly changing their position from night to night. But see Jupiter now, because by the end of July it will be gone from our evening skies.
On July 3rd a slightly fatter Moon will have moved past Jupiter and will hover above Regulus the brightest star of Leo the lion. And on July 4th, Independence Day, it will be well beyond it but still absolutely beautiful. Also on the 4th our Sun will appear its dimmest for the entire year and that's because this year on July 4th our Earth will officially be at its farthest from the Sun for the year. In fact, we will be 94 million 515 thousand miles away which is over 3 million miles farther away than when our Earth was closest to the Sun on January 4th. And although you won't really notice it our Sun will actually be 7% dimmer on the 4th of July than it was on January 4th. Now for the next several days you can watch the Moon as it waxes, that is grows larger and larger.
But the night to see something really special will be Thursday the 10th because about an hour after dark, if you look due south, you will see a 3 days before full Moon parked right next to Antares the bright red star that marks the heart of the Scorpion and whose name literally means "The Rival of Mars" because whenever Mars is at just the right distance Antares looks just like it. But there the similarity ends because appearances in the cosmos are almost always deceiving. Indeed our 2,000 mile wide Moon dominates our night sky only because it is so incredibly close. Antares is dimmer only because its so incredibly far away. In fact Antares is a supergiant star so huge that we could fit over 14 quadrillion Moons inside it. Wow! The Moon and Antares on the 10th , the Moon and Jupiter on the 2nd and our Sun at its dimmest on the 4th. I'm Jack Horkheimer, Keep Looking Up!
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Horkheimer: This July opens up with several cosmic
goodies. On the 2nd at dusk a slender sliver of a crescent Moon
will hover directly above brilliant 88,000 mile wide Jupiter whose
brightest moons will delight you as they shuttle back and forth
around it. On the 3rd the Moon will be above Regulus the brightest
star of Leo. And on July 4th our Sun will appear its dimmest for
the entire year because it will be its farthest distance from
us, 3 million miles farther away than on January 4th. And on the
10th a gibbous Moon will park right next to Antares, the red heart
star of the Scorpion, a star so huge 14 quadrillion Moons could
fit inside it. Happy July! And Keep Looking Up!
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* This week's Sky At A Glance and
Planet Roundup from Sky & Telescope.
This week's Sky At A Glance displays current week only
Starry Night Deluxe was used to produce this episode
of Star Gazer
Lorain County JVS NASA CORE / 15181 Route 58 South / 440/775-1400 / FAX 440/775-1460 / nasaco@leeca.org / http://core.nasa.gov
Horkheimer: Greetings, greetings fellow star gazers. Every so often if there's no bright Moon out on the 4th of July you can see something really special in the heavens after the fireworks are over if you follow a few simple directions. O.K., we've got our skies set up for Friday evening July 4th shortly after the local fireworks are over around 10 p.m. facing west where close to the horizon you'll see brilliant Jupiter getting ready to set and above it a 5 day old exquisite crescent Moon. But if you hang out until 11:00 you'll notice that the Moon itself is getting ready to set and that Jupiter already has. And almost as if by magic you'll see a lot more stars than you saw earlier because there'll be far less moonlight to wipe out the fainter stars.
And that's where the special sky show comes in because if you are far from city lights at midnight just after the Moon has set the dark sky will be filled with stars and one of the most wonderful things we can see from Earth, the magnificent Milky Way. So at midnight face south and directly in front of you will be two of summer's most wonderful constellations. One looks like a fish hook, Scorpius the Scorpion. And to its left the brightest stars of Sagittarius the Centaur look like an old fashioned teapot complete with lid, spout and handle. Scorpius is my summer favorite because its heart is marked by a supergiant red star named Antares, which actually pulsates like a slowly beating heart, and whose size is mind boggling. Indeed, it is 700 times the diameter of our own million mile wide Sun, so huge we could fit over 200 million of our Suns inside it. In fact if we could place one edge of Antares where our Sun is, Antares' opposite edge would extend beyond the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, even past Jupiter. Wow!
But the most awesome spectacle of all is a faint ribbon of light running all the way from the due south horizon up through Scorpius and Sagittarius to the very top of the sky itself through the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle, then down through M-shaped Cassiopeia to the northern horizon. This faint ribbon is called the Milky Way and I call it awesome because when we look at it we are actually seeing an edge-on view of our galaxy, our family of 200 billion stars, but as seen from inside it, because we are located within it, 2/3rds of the way out from the center. In fact, this faint ribbon of light is the combined light of billions of stars so far away that all their light fuzzes together in a blur. And if you look anywhere along the Milky Way with binoculars you will see that it is peppered with hundreds of thousands of pinpoints of light and each pinpoint, believe it or not, is a distant star, another Sun, some the same size as our own Sun, some smaller and some even larger than Antares. Wow! So after the fireworks look for the magnificent Milky Way stretched across the roof of heaven from horizon to horizon. I'm Jack Horkheimer, Keep Looking Up!
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Horkheimer: On the 4th of July around midnight
if you are far from city lights you will see the Milky Way stretched
like an eerie bridge of light across the top of the sky from horizon
to horizon. When we look at the Milky Way we are actually seeing
an edge-on view of our galaxy, our family of 200 billion stars
but as seen from inside it because we are located within it, 2/3rds
of the way out from the center. In fact this faint ribbon of light
is the combined light of billions of stars so far away that all
their light fuzzes together in a blur. Indeed through binoculars
you can see that the Milky Way is peppered with millions of pinpoints
of light, each pinpoint a distant star not unlike our own sun.
Keep Looking Up!
How did you like this episode?
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* This week's Sky At A Glance and
Planet Roundup from Sky & Telescope.
This week's Sky At A Glance displays current week only
Starry Night Deluxe was used to produce this episode
of Star Gazer
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