STAR GAZER
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Notice : These are working drafts of the scripts for STAR GAZER.
Changes may well be made as production requires.

"Star Gazer" is available with iTunes,
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STAR GAZER

Episode # 10-11 / 1684th Show

To Be Aired : Monday 3/15/2010 through Sunday 3/21/2010

"Saturn At Its Closest, Biggest And Brightest For The Year
And Mars Still Brighter Than Every Visible Star Except One"

Horkheimer: Greetings, greetings fellow star gazers. This Sunday my favorite planet, the ringed planet Saturn is officially at opposition and is at its closest, biggest and brightest for all of 2010, which means that Saturn is at its viewing best for the next few weeks. Plus, because Mars was at opposition only 7 weeks ago on January 29, it is still super bright, brighter in fact than any visible star except the brightest of them all, the dog star Sirius, which marks the eye of Orion's bigger dog, Canis Major . And what's even better is that both of these planets are easy to find in early evening. Let me show you.

O.K., we've got our skies set up for any night the next two weeks about an hour after sunset facing south where the brightest thing you'll see will be the brightest star Sirius. Up above it you'll see dimmer Procyon which marks the eye of Orion's smaller dog. And up above it, second only to Sirius in brightness, 4,000 mile wide rouge gold Mars. And up above it, much dimmer Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars of Gemini the twins. Now you'll notice they're almost but not quite in line and I suggest you watch Mars sooner than later because it is rapidly moving away from Earth and by mid May will only be as bright as Pollux. You can use the Moon to find Mars next week because on Wednesday the 24th a 9 day old Moon will be just to Mars' right and on Thursday the 25th will be lined up in a row with Mars, Pollux and Castor.

And now to find my favorite planet, ringed 75,000 mile wide Saturn, go out any night the next few weeks about two hours after sunset, face east and it will be the brightest star like object in this part of the sky. You can use the Moon as a finder on Sunday the 28th when an almost full Moon will be just up to its right. Now whenever a planet is at opposition as Saturn is this Sunday the 21st, it is always at or very near to being at its closest, biggest and brightest for the year. And although we say that a planet is at opposition for only one day, nevertheless for visual purposes it is almost as good for viewing for a couple of weeks before and after opposition. This Sunday on the day of opposition Saturn is directly opposite the Sun and thus visible in the sky all night long. So when the Sun sets in the west Saturn will rise in the east, travel up the sky until it reaches its highest point at midnight and then will slowly descend until it sets in the west just as the Sun rises in the east.

It will still be visible almost all night long for a few weeks after opposition. But if you want to see Saturn at its best, especially through a telescope, look around midnight when it reaches its highest point because all planets are better for viewing when they are at their highest because then we see them through fewer layers of our Earth's turbulent and blurry atmosphere. So get out a small telescope now and enjoy this ringed wonder, which this Sunday will be only 791 million miles away. That's 180 million miles closer than only 6 months ago. Wow! Two planets for your early evening viewing, the lord of the rings and rouge gold Mars. Keep looking up!

How did you like this episode?
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For GRAPHICS for this script (Click) Here

"Star Gazer" is available with iTunes,
for downloading with Quicktime
and we're now on YouTube

"Saturn At Its Closest, Biggest And Brightest For The Year
And Mars Still Brighter Than Every Visible Star Except One"

Horkheimer: This Sunday March 21st ringed 75,000 mile wide Saturn is at its closest, biggest and brightest for the year. Plus 4,000 mile wide Mars is still brighter than any visible star except Sirius. About two hours after sunset face east and Saturn will be the brightest object you'll see. It will be in the sky all night long rising in the east at sunset, at its highest point at midnight and setting at sunrise. And it is 180 million miles closer now than it was six months ago. Face south and you'll see Sirius, Procyon, super bright Mars and Gemini's Castor and Pollux. And on Thursday the 25th the Moon will be lined up in a row with Mars, Castor and Pollux. Wow! Saturn at its best and Mars still super bright. Keep looking up!

How did you like this episode?
Please give us your comments. (Click Here)

For GRAPHICS for this script (Click) Here

* This week's Sky At A Glance and Planet Roundup from Sky & Telescope.

Starry Night Deluxe was used to produce this episode of Star Gazer

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