1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,840 Howdy Stargazers, and welcome to this episode of Star Trails. 2 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:18,480 I'm Drew, and I'll be your guide to the night sky for the week starting November 24th to 3 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:19,980 the 30th. 4 00:00:19,980 --> 00:00:25,280 It's Thanksgiving week here in the U.S., a time for gathering with loved ones, reflecting 5 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:31,360 on what we're grateful for, and maybe even sharing a moment under the stars. 6 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:36,840 In this episode, we'll look at some lesser-known constellations you can see this time of year, 7 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:42,840 and later in the show, we'll explore the cosmic bubble our solar system resides in, 8 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:48,000 and how our place in the universe might be connected to others like it by a series of 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:49,960 tunnels. 10 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,840 The cosmos have a feast in store for us this week, so grab a comfortable spot under the 11 00:00:54,840 --> 00:01:02,040 night sky, and let's enjoy some celestial side dishes for the holiday. 12 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:03,920 First up, the moon. 13 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:08,940 Early in the week, we're in the last quarter phase, with the moon slowly slimming down 14 00:01:08,940 --> 00:01:13,600 to a waning crescent by Thanksgiving and beyond. 15 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:19,080 That means less moonlight washing out the stars, giving us darker skies, perfect for 16 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:24,080 spotting some of the treasures we'll talk about tonight. 17 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,440 Venus and Jupiter are stealing the show this week. 18 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:32,800 You can catch Venus just after sunset in the western sky, shining at a bright negative 19 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:39,600 four magnitude, making it the brightest object in the night sky after the moon. 20 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,680 Jupiter is sitting bright and bold in the constellation Taurus. 21 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:50,000 It begins its rise around 6 p.m. and reaches its highest point in the sky by 1 a.m. 22 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:55,600 If you have a telescope, you can glimpse its cloud belts or the dance of its four largest 23 00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:00,400 moons, E.O., Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. 24 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,160 Saturn, over in Aquarius, is another highlight. 25 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:10,960 Even a small telescope will reveal its iconic rings, a sight that never fails to amaze. 26 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,680 Catch it before it sets around midnight. 27 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:19,920 For early risers, Mars makes a brilliant appearance in cancer during the pre-dawn hours. 28 00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:25,440 Look for it near the Beehive cluster M44 for a stunning view. 29 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,160 Lastly, don't forget Uranus. 30 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:34,240 It's still near its opposition in Taurus, making it a prime time to spot this distant, icy 31 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:35,560 world. 32 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,160 Look for it just off to the right of the Pleiades. 33 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,880 And while we're near the Pleiades, let's talk about how it's been celebrated in myths 34 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:48,920 across cultures, often associated with family and the harvest. 35 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:54,960 The ancient Greeks saw them as the Seven Sisters, while Native American tribes like the Lakota 36 00:02:54,960 --> 00:03:00,160 and Cherokee linked them to stories of kinship and survival. 37 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:06,560 The Pleiades were also a seasonal marker guiding farmers to know when to plant and harvest, 38 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:11,800 a perfect connection to Thanksgiving's roots as a harvest festival. 39 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:18,040 Resembling a tiny dipper, the cluster is visible to the naked eye, but binoculars will reveal 40 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:23,840 even more stars, each sparkling like diamonds on black velvet. 41 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaking of harvests, think about Jupiter and Saturn. 42 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:32,640 These two planets represent abundance and stability in mythology. 43 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:38,120 Jupiter as the bringer of bounty and Saturn as the god of the harvest. 44 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:43,080 Seeing them bright in the night sky feels like a cosmic reminder to appreciate the gifts 45 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,240 we have and share them with others. 46 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,440 And while the big meteor showers are behind us, a few Leonid meteors may still streak 47 00:03:51,440 --> 00:04:03,360 across the sky, especially earlier in the week. 48 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:08,040 As we approach the skies of winter, let's take a moment to examine a few of the lesser 49 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:12,080 known constellations that adorn the sky this time of year. 50 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:18,240 We'll start with Eradinas, one of the longest constellations in the night sky. 51 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:24,720 Known as the Celestial River, Eradinas stretches across the southern sky, beginning the Erygel 52 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:30,680 and Orion, and winding its way toward the far reaches of the southern hemisphere. 53 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:37,000 In Greek mythology, Eradinas represents a river, often associated with the River Poe 54 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,440 in Italy or the mythical river of the underworld. 55 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:47,440 The constellation's most famous star, Akronar, marks its end point. 56 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:52,360 Akronar is the ninth brightest star in the sky, but here's the catch. 57 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:58,920 You can only see it from the southern hemisphere, or very low latitudes in the northern hemisphere. 58 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:04,200 For those of us further north, the visible portion of Eradinas is still impressive, with 59 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,760 stars tracing a serpentine path through the sky. 60 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:15,440 This constellation is also home to the Eradinas Supervoid, a vast region of space with very 61 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,920 few galaxies, baffling astronomers to this day. 62 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:28,520 If you have a telescope, you might also spot NGC 1232, the Eye of God Galaxy, a stunning 63 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:33,920 spiral galaxy that lies roughly 60 million light years away. 64 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:38,560 Next, let's explore Auriga, the charioteer. 65 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:44,520 High in the northern sky, this constellation is easy to find thanks to its brightest star, 66 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:51,120 Capella, a golden giant that ranks as the sixth brightest star in the night sky. 67 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:57,360 Capella is part of a binary star system and represents the charioteer's goat. 68 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,800 Auriga is a treasure trove for stargazers. 69 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:09,400 It contains three stunning open star clusters, M36, M37, and M38. 70 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:15,400 These clusters are perfect examples of young stars born in the same stellar nursery still 71 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,280 bound together by gravity. 72 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:24,920 In mythology, Auriga is often depicted as a charioteer holding a goat and her kids, 73 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:29,560 a nod to its association with agriculture and herding. 74 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:36,000 For the modern observer, Auriga symbolizes cosmic abundance with its stars and clusters 75 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:41,680 offering something for everyone, whether you're peering through binoculars or simply gazing 76 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,120 up with the naked eye. 77 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:50,920 Finally, we come to Monoceros, the unicorn, a constellation that feels like it belongs 78 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:52,960 in a storybook. 79 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:58,840 Unlike the bright constellations we've covered so far, Monoceros is faint and requires dark 80 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:01,480 skies to fully appreciate. 81 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:08,040 It's nestled near Orion, Canis Major and Canis Minor, acting as a bridge between these more 82 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,800 prominent constellations. 83 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,520 But don't let its faintness fool you. 84 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,520 Monoceros is brimming with treasures. 85 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:22,760 This constellation is home to the Rosette Nebula, a massive cloud of gas and dust shaped 86 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,320 like a blooming flower. 87 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:31,560 Just by, you'll find the Christmas tree cluster, a charming group of stars shaped as its name 88 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,680 suggests like a holiday tree. 89 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:39,920 These objects are accessible with binoculars or a small telescope and are especially beautiful 90 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,560 for astrophotographers. 91 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:48,160 Monoceros was introduced in the 17th century, making it a relatively modern addition to 92 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:49,160 the night sky. 93 00:07:49,160 --> 00:08:04,080 Tonight, we're taking a closer look at our solar system's cozy spot in the galaxy. 94 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:09,840 Imagine this, we're not just floating in empty space, we're actually sitting inside 95 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:16,920 a giant bubble, not like a soap bubble but something called the local hot bubble. 96 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:21,920 It's invisible to the naked eye but it's a cosmic wonder that tells an incredible story 97 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:26,240 about the violent history of our galactic neighborhood. 98 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:31,640 And there's some brand new science about this bubble that's blowing astronomers minds, 99 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:38,160 including the discovery of mysterious tunnels that may connect our bubble to others. 100 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:43,760 Around 10 to 20 million years ago, a massive star in our corner of the Milky Way reached 101 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:48,360 the end of its life, exploding in a brilliant supernova. 102 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:54,040 The force of that explosion sent shock waves rippling outward, carving a massive cavity 103 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,760 in the surrounding interstellar gas and dust. 104 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,520 But that wasn't the end of it. 105 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:05,080 Astronomers think that multiple supernova went off in this same region, one after the 106 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:12,040 other, creating an enormous, interconnected region of hot, sparse gas. 107 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,480 That region is known as the local hot bubble. 108 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:22,240 It's about 1000 light years across and while the gas inside is searingly hot, millions 109 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:28,760 of degrees, it's also incredibly thin, like a faint wisp of a breeze. 110 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:33,640 Although our solar system is almost right in the middle of this bubble, the gas is so 111 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,400 diffuse that it doesn't affect us here on Earth. 112 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:41,640 So if we can't see this bubble, how do we even know it's there? 113 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:43,840 The key is X-rays. 114 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:49,920 The superheated gas emits faint X-rays and astronomers using modern space telescopes 115 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:51,720 can detect them. 116 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:57,720 By mapping these X-rays along with the distribution of interstellar dust, scientists have pieced 117 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:02,600 together the shape and size of the local hot bubble. 118 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:08,800 Using data from E. Rosita, an instrument built by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial 119 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:16,320 Physics to map cosmos, researchers recently created a detailed 3D map of this bubble. 120 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:22,000 The map revealed some unexpected features, including an interstellar tunnel extending 121 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,080 toward the constellation Centaurus. 122 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:30,200 This tunnel may connect the local hot bubble to a neighboring super bubble, such as the 123 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:36,240 gum nebula, creating kind of a galactic highway for hot gas to flow. 124 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:41,800 The local hot bubble isn't unique, space is full of these bubbles formed by similar 125 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,320 supernova explosions. 126 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:51,440 For instance, the Loop 1 bubble near the Scorpius-Centaurus region overlaps with our bubble. 127 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:58,560 The Orion-Iradanus bubble, connected to the famous Orion nebula, also lies nearby. 128 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:04,200 These bubbles don't exist in isolation, they're part of a larger network connected by tunnels 129 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:07,840 carved through the cooler interstellar medium. 130 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:14,120 Think of it as a cosmic web where hot gas flows freely between these structures. 131 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:16,640 So why is all this important? 132 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:23,120 The local hot bubble isn't just a historical artifact, it actively shapes our solar system's 133 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:24,360 environment. 134 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:31,240 The hot gas acts as kind of a buffer, influencing how cosmic rays and other interstellar particles 135 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:32,880 reach us. 136 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:36,800 It also tells us something about the dynamics of the Milky Way. 137 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,860 For example, these bubbles influence star formation. 138 00:11:40,860 --> 00:11:48,480 The edges where hot gas meets cooler material can compress gas enough to form new stars. 139 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:53,160 The tunnels, like the one towards Centaurus, give us clues about how energy and matter 140 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,600 flow through the galaxy. 141 00:11:55,600 --> 00:12:00,840 These recent findings are part of a growing understanding of the galaxy's structure. 142 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:06,360 The Eroseta data has even revealed temperature differences within the bubble itself, with 143 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:10,720 the southern hemisphere being slightly hotter than the northern. 144 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:17,040 This uneven heat distribution reflects the chaotic nature of the multiple supernova explosions 145 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:19,400 that shape the bubble. 146 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:24,480 Before we wrap up, here are some other fun facts about our local bubble. 147 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:29,640 If the local hot bubble were visible, it would look like a faintly glowing sphere surrounding 148 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,120 us in the night sky. 149 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:38,440 Our solar system entered the local interstellar cloud about 100,000 years ago, and we might 150 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,920 leave it in another 20,000 years or so. 151 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:47,020 When this happens, we could encounter a different region of the bubble or maybe even pass into 152 00:12:47,020 --> 00:12:49,720 one of those interstellar tunnels. 153 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:55,240 Also, the edges of these bubbles, like the Orion Nebula, are some of the most visually 154 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:58,960 stunning and dynamic places in the galaxy. 155 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:04,640 The local hot bubble and its surprising connections to the rest of the galaxy is yet another reminder 156 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:10,720 that even in the vast emptiness of space, there's always something happening. 157 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:16,920 Next time you gaze up at the stars, think about the bubble of hot gas cradling our solar system 158 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:24,000 and the supernova that helped shape our tiny corner of the galaxy. 159 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,040 Thanks for joining me this week on Star Trails. 160 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:32,880 I'm grateful for all of you, my fellow stargazers, and the chance to share the wonders of the 161 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:34,680 cosmos. 162 00:13:34,680 --> 00:13:38,440 If you found this episode useful, please share it with a friend. 163 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:44,740 The easiest way to do that is by visiting our website, startrails.show, where you can 164 00:13:44,740 --> 00:13:51,040 find all of our episodes, including transcripts, night sky maps, and more. 165 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:55,120 Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the night sky. 166 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,120 Clear skies, everyone.