STAR GAZERS SG 1742-5M SAYONARA TO SATURN HEY THERE STAR GAZERS. I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FROM THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY. AND I'M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA. AND WERE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKY. DEAN, I HAVE SOME SAD NEWS TO REPORT. CUE THE SAD MUSIC. WHAT IS IT? OH MY GOSH, IS AN ASTEROID COMING TO DESTROY THE EARTH? NO. BUT I HATE TO TELL YOU, WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MORE WEEKS TO SEE SATURN IN THE EVENING SKY. NOOOOOOO! I'M AFRAID SO. YEAH, I KNOW. BUT ITS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. IM JUST ALWAYS A LITTLE SAD WHEN MY FAVORITE PLANET DISAPPEARS BEHIND THE SUN. SATURN IS JUST SUCH A COOL THING TO SEE IN A TELESCOPE.
I KNOW. IT LOOKS SO UNREAL WITH THE RINGS AND THE MOONS. IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE PUT A STICKER ON THE END OF THE TELESCOPE. BUT IT IS THE REAL THING. SO LETS HEAD OUTSIDE AND FIND SATURN! (STOP) OKAY, WE HAVE OUR SKIES SET FOR OCTOBER 21ST AT 8PM FACING SOUTHWEST. THE MOST NOTICEABLE STAR IN THIS PART OF THE SKY IS NO STAR AT ALL. ITS MY FAVORITE PLANET, THE AMAZING RINGED WORLD, SATURN. NOW SATURN DOESNT STAND OUT AS MUCH AS VENUS OR JUPITER IN THE NIGHT SKY. SATURN IS ONLY ABOUT AS BRIGHT AS THE BRIGHTEST STARS OF SUMMER. AND YOU DEFINITELY CANT SEE THE RINGS WITHOUT A TELESCOPE - ALTHOUGH DEAN STILL TRIES. NOPE. IM SQUINTING AND I STILL CANT SEE THEM. JUST LOOK FOR A PRETTY-BRIGHT, YELLOW-TINTED STAR THAT DOESNT TWINKLE VERY MUCH. NEARBY STARS LIKE ANTARES, JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON, AND NUNKI OVER THERE WILL TWINKLE A LOT. PLANETS DONT TWINKLE AS MUCH AS STARS.
AND YOU CAN ALSO LOOK FOR THE CONSTELLATIONS AROUND SATURN. TO THE LEFT OF SATURN IS A GROUP OF STARS THAT LOOK LIKE A TEA POT. THATS ACTUALLY THE CENTAUR NAMED SAGITTARIUS WHO IS HALF MAN, HALF HORSE. UP AND TO THE RIGHT OF SATURN YOULL FIND A GROUP OF STARS IN A STRETCHED PENTAGON SHAPE. THAT IS OPHIUCHUS, THE GREAT MYTHOLOGICAL DOCTOR WHO COULD RAISE THE DEAD AND JUST HAPPENS TO BE HOLDING A SNAKE. AND JUST BELOW SATURN YOU MAY FIND THE REMNANTS OF SCORPIUS THE SCORPION WHO IS SETTING FAST. THE BRIGHT STAR ANTARES IS THE SCORPIONS HEART AND IT'LL BE GONE SOON. WELL, LETS FLY UP TO SATURN REAL QUICKLY AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. (STOP FLY) ON SKY BOARDS THROUGH A TELESCOPE YOU MIGHT GET A VIEW OF SATURN LIKE THIS. YOU CAN SEE THE RINGS AND ITS BRIGHTEST MOON NAMED TITAN. THROUGH A BETTER TELESCOPE YOU CAN SEE MORE DETAILS IN THE RINGS INCLUDING A GAP - THAT BLACK RING IN THERE - CALLED CASSINIS DIVISION. PLUS YOU MAY SEE A FEW MORE MOONS LIKE RHEA, TETHYS, AND DIONE.
AND THEN IF YOU COULD'VE HITCHED A RIDE WITH THE CASSINI SPACECRAFT BEFORE IT CRASHED IN THE PLANET, YOU'D GET VIEWS OF SATURN LIKE THESE. THERE ARE SO MANY RINGS YOU CANT COUNT EM ALL! AND WE NOW KNOW OF AT LEAST 62 MOONS THAT CIRCLE SATURN. THE PLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW ON THE PLANET, RINGS, AND MOONS IS JUST SPECTACULAR. THIS IS WHY SATURN IS MY FAVORITE PLANET! (STOP) BACK ON THE HORIZON SO NOW WE GET TO THE SAD PART. SATURN IS QUICKLY HEADING AROUND THE SUN AND SOON WILL NOT BE VISIBLE IN THE EVENING SKY. YES, THAT IS TRAGIC BUT YOU HAVE A FEW MORE WEEKS TO LOOK FOR IT. AND IF WE ADVANCE TIME TO OCTOBER 22ND CHECK OUT WHAT IS COMING INTO VIEW. THE MOON! EXACTLY! AND IF WE MOVE TO OCTOBER 23RD THE WAXING CRESCENT MOON WILL SLIDE EVEN CLOSER TO SATURN. AND THAT MEANS CUE THE CONJUNCTION MUSIC!
WELL HAVE A MOON-SATURN CONJUNCTION! AND THE PARTY WON'T STOP-- THE NEXT NIGHT BECAUSE ON OCTOBER 24TH, THE MOON WILL STILL BE NEAR SATURN. SO THATS STILL A CONJUNCTION? EH, CLOSE ENOUGH FOR YOU. (STOP) (CLOSE-UP ENDING) SO DONT WASTE ANOTHER NIGHT THIS MONTH WITHOUT LOOKING FOR SATURN IN THE SKY. IT'LL BE THE BRIGHT, YELLOW, NON-TWINKLING LIGHT LOW IN THE SOUTHWEST AFTER DARK. AND IF YOU CAN, GET A VIEW OF IT THROUGH A TELESCOPE TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL RINGS. YOU MIGHT DISCOVER THAT ITS YOUR FAVORITE PLANET TOO. BOTH: KEEP LOOKING UP! **********