92-555: Star Gazers (formerly known as Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler and later Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer ) is a short astronomy show on American public television previously hosted by Jack Horkheimer , executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium . After his death in 2010, a series of guest astronomers hosted until 2011, when Dean Regas , James Albury , and Marlene Hidalgo became permanent co-hosts. In 2019, Dean Regas and James Albury stepped down from
184-448: A binary black hole . A second gravitational wave was detected on 26 December 2015 and additional observations should continue but gravitational waves require extremely sensitive instruments. The combination of observations made using electromagnetic radiation, neutrinos or gravitational waves and other complementary information, is known as multi-messenger astronomy . One of the oldest fields in astronomy, and in all of science,
276-526: A commercial station donated by their owners to the organization in the fall of 2017 which shares WPBT's spectrum as part of a channel sharing arrangement. The company was formed from a 2015 merger of the Community Television Foundation of South Florida , owner of WPBT, and WXEL Public Broadcasting Corporation, owner of WXEL. The merger, which was formally filed with the FCC on July 16, would enable
368-558: A few milliseconds to thousands of seconds before fading away. Only 10% of gamma-ray sources are non-transient sources. These steady gamma-ray emitters include pulsars, neutron stars , and black hole candidates such as active galactic nuclei. In addition to electromagnetic radiation, a few other events originating from great distances may be observed from the Earth. In neutrino astronomy , astronomers use heavily shielded underground facilities such as SAGE , GALLEX , and Kamioka II/III for
460-490: A general audience, rather than to astronomers. In May 1985, the show went national, being broadcast on PBS stations around the United States with the enthusiastic Horkheimer that most people are familiar with. For the first two years of the national broadcast, Horkheimer hated the show and would not watch it, saying, "Well this is certainly different from any Jack Horkheimer that I know." After that, Horkheimer realized that he
552-552: A model allows astronomers to select between several alternative or conflicting models. Theorists also modify existing models to take into account new observations. In some cases, a large amount of observational data that is inconsistent with a model may lead to abandoning it largely or completely, as for geocentric theory , the existence of luminiferous aether , and the steady-state model of cosmic evolution. Phenomena modeled by theoretical astronomers include: Modern theoretical astronomy reflects dramatic advances in observation since
644-661: A number of important astronomers. Richard of Wallingford (1292–1336) made major contributions to astronomy and horology , including the invention of the first astronomical clock, the Rectangulus which allowed for the measurement of angles between planets and other astronomical bodies, as well as an equatorium called the Albion which could be used for astronomical calculations such as lunar , solar and planetary longitudes and could predict eclipses . Nicole Oresme (1320–1382) and Jean Buridan (1300–1361) first discussed evidence for
736-476: A planetary ring on one side of the screen. Horkheimer then uses the screen to illustrate starfields and diagrams appropriate to his subject. Horkheimer was the creator, writer, and original host of the series until his death on August 20, 2010. Horkheimer created the series in 1976 in cooperation with WPBT. He had been creating presentations for the Miami Space Transit Planetarium when he started
828-562: A repeating cycle known as a saros . Following the Babylonians, significant advances in astronomy were made in ancient Greece and the Hellenistic world. Greek astronomy is characterized from the start by seeking a rational, physical explanation for celestial phenomena. In the 3rd century BC, Aristarchus of Samos estimated the size and distance of the Moon and Sun , and he proposed a model of
920-548: A satellite feed that occurs approximately two weeks before the official broadcast dates. In 1964, Jack Horkheimer started working at the Miami Space Transit Planetarium for the Miami Museum of Science after meeting the museum's president, Arthur Smith. By the early 1970s, he was appearing on news programs talking about astronomy. He was approached by Miami's PBS affiliate, WPBT , to do a series of half-hour programs about astronomy, titled Horkheimer's Heavens . Horkheimer agreed on
1012-608: A substantial amount of work in the realms of theoretical and observational physics. Some areas of study for astrophysicists include their attempts to determine the properties of dark matter , dark energy , and black holes ; whether or not time travel is possible, wormholes can form, or the multiverse exists; and the origin and ultimate fate of the universe . Topics also studied by theoretical astrophysicists include Solar System formation and evolution ; stellar dynamics and evolution ; galaxy formation and evolution ; magnetohydrodynamics ; large-scale structure of matter in
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#17328589749921104-427: Is visible light , or more generally electromagnetic radiation . Observational astronomy may be categorized according to the corresponding region of the electromagnetic spectrum on which the observations are made. Some parts of the spectrum can be observed from the Earth's surface, while other parts are only observable from either high altitudes or outside the Earth's atmosphere. Specific information on these subfields
1196-580: Is a branch of astronomy that studies the universe as a whole. Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences. The early civilizations in recorded history made methodical observations of the night sky . These include the Egyptians , Babylonians , Greeks , Indians , Chinese , Maya , and many ancient indigenous peoples of the Americas . In the past, astronomy included disciplines as diverse as astrometry , celestial navigation , observational astronomy , and
1288-584: Is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, requiring observations at these wavelengths to be performed from the upper atmosphere or from space. Ultraviolet astronomy is best suited to the study of thermal radiation and spectral emission lines from hot blue stars ( OB stars ) that are very bright in this wave band. This includes the blue stars in other galaxies, which have been the targets of several ultraviolet surveys. Other objects commonly observed in ultraviolet light include planetary nebulae , supernova remnants , and active galactic nuclei. However, as ultraviolet light
1380-591: Is also believed that the ruins at Great Zimbabwe and Timbuktu may have housed astronomical observatories. In Post-classical West Africa , Astronomers studied the movement of stars and relation to seasons, crafting charts of the heavens as well as precise diagrams of orbits of the other planets based on complex mathematical calculations. Songhai historian Mahmud Kati documented a meteor shower in August 1583. Europeans had previously believed that there had been no astronomical observation in sub-Saharan Africa during
1472-583: Is an inseparable part of the discipline of astrobiology. Astrobiology concerns itself with interpretation of existing scientific data , and although speculation is entertained to give context, astrobiology concerns itself primarily with hypotheses that fit firmly into existing scientific theories . This interdisciplinary field encompasses research on the origin of planetary systems , origins of organic compounds in space , rock-water-carbon interactions, abiogenesis on Earth, planetary habitability , research on biosignatures for life detection, and studies on
1564-503: Is broadcast on over 200 PBS stations. It is also available on NASA's Central Operation of Resources for Educators, VOA TV and the Armed Forces Network . Individuals can download the show free from the official website, view the program on YouTube or watch the show's video podcast feed through most podcast providers. It was originally designed to air on PBS stations just before sign-off , but since many PBS stations now stay on
1656-427: Is easily absorbed by interstellar dust , an adjustment of ultraviolet measurements is necessary. X-ray astronomy uses X-ray wavelengths . Typically, X-ray radiation is produced by synchrotron emission (the result of electrons orbiting magnetic field lines), thermal emission from thin gases above 10 (10 million) kelvins , and thermal emission from thick gases above 10 Kelvin. Since X-rays are absorbed by
1748-414: Is founded on the detection and analysis of infrared radiation, wavelengths longer than red light and outside the range of our vision. The infrared spectrum is useful for studying objects that are too cold to radiate visible light, such as planets, circumstellar disks or nebulae whose light is blocked by dust. The longer wavelengths of infrared can penetrate clouds of dust that block visible light, allowing
1840-458: Is from these clouds that solar systems form. Studies in this field contribute to the understanding of the formation of the Solar System , Earth's origin and geology, abiogenesis , and the origin of climate and oceans. Astrobiology is an interdisciplinary scientific field concerned with the origins , early evolution , distribution, and future of life in the universe . Astrobiology considers
1932-416: Is given below. Radio astronomy uses radiation with wavelengths greater than approximately one millimeter, outside the visible range. Radio astronomy is different from most other forms of observational astronomy in that the observed radio waves can be treated as waves rather than as discrete photons . Hence, it is relatively easier to measure both the amplitude and phase of radio waves, whereas this
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#17328589749922024-645: Is not as easily done at shorter wavelengths. Although some radio waves are emitted directly by astronomical objects, a product of thermal emission , most of the radio emission that is observed is the result of synchrotron radiation , which is produced when electrons orbit magnetic fields . Additionally, a number of spectral lines produced by interstellar gas , notably the hydrogen spectral line at 21 cm, are observable at radio wavelengths. A wide variety of other objects are observable at radio wavelengths, including supernovae , interstellar gas, pulsars , and active galactic nuclei . Infrared astronomy
2116-471: Is one of the few sciences in which amateurs play an active role . This is especially true for the discovery and observation of transient events . Amateur astronomers have helped with many important discoveries, such as finding new comets. Astronomy (from the Greek ἀστρονομία from ἄστρον astron , "star" and -νομία -nomia from νόμος nomos , "law" or "culture") means "law of the stars" (or "culture of
2208-476: Is the branch of astronomy that employs the principles of physics and chemistry "to ascertain the nature of the astronomical objects , rather than their positions or motions in space". Among the objects studied are the Sun , other stars , galaxies , extrasolar planets , the interstellar medium and the cosmic microwave background . Their emissions are examined across all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum , and
2300-499: Is the measurement of the positions of celestial objects. Historically, accurate knowledge of the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars has been essential in celestial navigation (the use of celestial objects to guide navigation) and in the making of calendars . Careful measurement of the positions of the planets has led to a solid understanding of gravitational perturbations , and an ability to determine past and future positions of
2392-474: The Hustler adult magazine. As a result, the producers renamed the show Star Gazer to avert any confusion, accidental or purposeful. On August 20, 2010, Horkheimer died. For more than a year after Horkheimer's death, the program continued to be produced under the title Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer , using the same opening sequence featuring Horkheimer's name and face. During that time, the program continued to use
2484-472: The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory or by specialized telescopes called atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes . The Cherenkov telescopes do not detect the gamma rays directly but instead detect the flashes of visible light produced when gamma rays are absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere. Most gamma-ray emitting sources are actually gamma-ray bursts , objects which only produce gamma radiation for
2576-520: The Earth's atmosphere , all X-ray observations must be performed from high-altitude balloons , rockets , or X-ray astronomy satellites . Notable X-ray sources include X-ray binaries , pulsars , supernova remnants , elliptical galaxies , clusters of galaxies , and active galactic nuclei . Gamma ray astronomy observes astronomical objects at the shortest wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. Gamma rays may be observed directly by satellites such as
2668-939: The Milky Way , as its own group of stars was only proven in the 20th century, along with the existence of "external" galaxies. The observed recession of those galaxies led to the discovery of the expansion of the Universe . In 1919, when the Hooker Telescope was completed, the prevailing view was that the universe consisted entirely of the Milky Way Galaxy. Using the Hooker Telescope, Edwin Hubble identified Cepheid variables in several spiral nebulae and in 1922–1923 proved conclusively that Andromeda Nebula and Triangulum among others, were entire galaxies outside our own, thus proving that
2760-762: The Muslim world by the early 9th century. In 964, the Andromeda Galaxy , the largest galaxy in the Local Group , was described by the Persian Muslim astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi in his Book of Fixed Stars . The SN 1006 supernova , the brightest apparent magnitude stellar event in recorded history, was observed by the Egyptian Arabic astronomer Ali ibn Ridwan and Chinese astronomers in 1006. Iranian scholar Al-Biruni observed that, contrary to Ptolemy ,
2852-555: The Renaissance , Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a heliocentric model of the solar system. His work was defended by Galileo Galilei and expanded upon by Johannes Kepler . Kepler was the first to devise a system that correctly described the details of the motion of the planets around the Sun. However, Kepler did not succeed in formulating a theory behind the laws he wrote down. It was Isaac Newton , with his invention of celestial dynamics and his law of gravitation , who finally explained
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2944-555: The Solar System where the Earth and planets rotated around the Sun, now called the heliocentric model. In the 2nd century BC, Hipparchus discovered precession , calculated the size and distance of the Moon and invented the earliest known astronomical devices such as the astrolabe . Hipparchus also created a comprehensive catalog of 1020 stars, and most of the constellations of the northern hemisphere derive from Greek astronomy. The Antikythera mechanism ( c. 150 –80 BC)
3036-427: The interstellar medium . The study of the abundance of elements and isotope ratios in Solar System objects, such as meteorites , is also called cosmochemistry , while the study of interstellar atoms and molecules and their interaction with radiation is sometimes called molecular astrophysics. The formation, atomic and chemical composition, evolution and fate of molecular gas clouds is of special interest, because it
3128-442: The 1990s, including studies of the cosmic microwave background , distant supernovae and galaxy redshifts , which have led to the development of a standard model of cosmology . This model requires the universe to contain large amounts of dark matter and dark energy whose nature is currently not well understood, but the model gives detailed predictions that are in excellent agreement with many diverse observations. Astrophysics
3220-403: The Earth's atmosphere and of their physical and chemical properties", while "astrophysics" refers to the branch of astronomy dealing with "the behavior, physical properties, and dynamic processes of celestial objects and phenomena". In some cases, as in the introduction of the introductory textbook The Physical Universe by Frank Shu , "astronomy" may be used to describe the qualitative study of
3312-658: The Energy Officer at the Miami Science Museum, temporarily took over the position as special guest host while Horkheimer was ill. Horkheimer had previously written episodes for the entire month of September 2010. Trigg stepped in and taped the episodes for that month to keep the show running. His first episode was the show's 1,709th titled, "Mercury In The Morning And Jupiter At Night", and can be seen at Jack Horkheimer Star Gazer 5 Minute Sept.6 – Sept. 12, 2010 on YouTube . After Horkheimer's death, Trigg took over
3404-483: The Seven Sisters , was an asterism and just one of the many objects in the night sky he would use in this way. Stars with unique names, such as Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali were also used in the shows to help inform the viewers. When astronomical events were in the news, Horkheimer would speak of them, giving viewers much more detailed information. When Comet Hale-Bopp arrived in 1997 and when Halley's comet
3496-522: The Sun's apogee (highest point in the heavens) was mobile, not fixed. Some of the prominent Islamic (mostly Persian and Arab) astronomers who made significant contributions to the science include Al-Battani , Thebit , Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi , Biruni , Abū Ishāq Ibrāhīm al-Zarqālī , Al-Birjandi , and the astronomers of the Maragheh and Samarkand observatories. Astronomers during that time introduced many Arabic names now used for individual stars . It
3588-574: The Sun, the Moon and the stars rotating around it. This is known as the geocentric model of the Universe, or the Ptolemaic system , named after Ptolemy . A particularly important early development was the beginning of mathematical and scientific astronomy, which began among the Babylonians , who laid the foundations for the later astronomical traditions that developed in many other civilizations. The Babylonians discovered that lunar eclipses recurred in
3680-521: The age of the Universe and size of the Observable Universe. Theoretical astronomy led to speculations on the existence of objects such as black holes and neutron stars , which have been used to explain such observed phenomena as quasars , pulsars , blazars , and radio galaxies . Physical cosmology made huge advances during the 20th century. In the early 1900s the model of the Big Bang theory
3772-436: The air continuously, the show usually airs around midnight local time or before a station or member network transitions to the overnight network schedule , and often again at the start of the broadcast day. Additionally, WPBT now provides a one-minute "capsule" version of each episode with a brief summary of the week's events. Episodes usually featured Horkheimer in front of a green screen , where he appeared to stand on top of
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3864-465: The announcer, Big Wilson , reciting this poem as the host walked onto the set: Some people hustle pool Some people hustle cars But, have you ever heard about the man who hustles stars? After Big Wilson's death in 1989, Star Hustler continued to use Wilson's pre-recorded voice in the television program's introduction as a "living memorial" to the man, with Horkheimer announcing the week's episode title. This introduction would be replaced 1997 with
3956-486: The atmosphere itself produces significant infrared emission. Consequently, infrared observatories have to be located in high, dry places on Earth or in space. Some molecules radiate strongly in the infrared. This allows the study of the chemistry of space; more specifically it can detect water in comets. Historically, optical astronomy, which has been also called visible light astronomy, is the oldest form of astronomy. Images of observations were originally drawn by hand. In
4048-670: The closing credits of episodes released in 1995. Astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics , physics , and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution . Objects of interest include planets , moons , stars , nebulae , galaxies , meteoroids , asteroids , and comets . Relevant phenomena include supernova explosions, gamma ray bursts , quasars , blazars , pulsars , and cosmic microwave background radiation . More generally, astronomy studies everything that originates beyond Earth's atmosphere . Cosmology
4140-445: The condition that WPBT help him create a series of 5-minute shows on stargazing. This was the beginning of Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler . The show debuted on November 6, 1976, on WPBT. From 1976 until 1985, the show was very studious, with Horkheimer being calm and speaking quietly like an educator rather than an entertainer. This changed in 1985 after the show's executive producer, Ed Waglin, told Horkheimer that he needed to appeal to
4232-408: The department is historically affiliated with a physics department, and many professional astronomers have physics rather than astronomy degrees. Some titles of the leading scientific journals in this field include The Astronomical Journal , The Astrophysical Journal , and Astronomy & Astrophysics . In early historic times, astronomy only consisted of the observation and predictions of
4324-474: The detection of neutrinos . The vast majority of the neutrinos streaming through the Earth originate from the Sun , but 24 neutrinos were also detected from supernova 1987A . Cosmic rays , which consist of very high energy particles (atomic nuclei) that can decay or be absorbed when they enter the Earth's atmosphere, result in a cascade of secondary particles which can be detected by current observatories. Some future neutrino detectors may also be sensitive to
4416-414: The introduction of new technology, including the spectroscope and photography . Joseph von Fraunhofer discovered about 600 bands in the spectrum of the Sun in 1814–15, which, in 1859, Gustav Kirchhoff ascribed to the presence of different elements. Stars were proven to be similar to the Earth's own Sun, but with a wide range of temperatures , masses , and sizes. The existence of the Earth's galaxy,
4508-579: The late 19th century and most of the 20th century, images were made using photographic equipment. Modern images are made using digital detectors, particularly using charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and recorded on modern medium. Although visible light itself extends from approximately 4000 Å to 7000 Å (400 nm to 700 nm), that same equipment can be used to observe some near-ultraviolet and near-infrared radiation. Ultraviolet astronomy employs ultraviolet wavelengths between approximately 100 and 3200 Å (10 to 320 nm). Light at those wavelengths
4600-576: The making of calendars . Professional astronomy is split into observational and theoretical branches. Observational astronomy is focused on acquiring data from observations of astronomical objects. This data is then analyzed using basic principles of physics. Theoretical astronomy is oriented toward the development of computer or analytical models to describe astronomical objects and phenomena. These two fields complement each other. Theoretical astronomy seeks to explain observational results and observations are used to confirm theoretical results. Astronomy
4692-443: The most widely recognizable quotes from the show but there were also others in common usage throughout the series. Horkheimer used "So get thee outside..." to encourage viewers to watch the stars. When describing the heavens he would often say "Let me show you." When introducing a picture of the night sky, he would often say, "O.K., we've got our skies set up for..." and then add a date and time. Each Star Hustler episode began with
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#17328589749924784-589: The motions of objects visible to the naked eye. In some locations, early cultures assembled massive artifacts that may have had some astronomical purpose. In addition to their ceremonial uses, these observatories could be employed to determine the seasons, an important factor in knowing when to plant crops and in understanding the length of the year. As civilizations developed, most notably in Egypt , Mesopotamia , Greece , Persia , India , China , and Central America , astronomical observatories were assembled and ideas on
4876-417: The motions of the planets. Newton also developed the reflecting telescope . Improvements in the size and quality of the telescope led to further discoveries. The English astronomer John Flamsteed catalogued over 3000 stars. More extensive star catalogues were produced by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille . The astronomer William Herschel made a detailed catalog of nebulosity and clusters, and in 1781 discovered
4968-406: The nature of the Universe began to develop. Most early astronomy consisted of mapping the positions of the stars and planets, a science now referred to as astrometry . From these observations, early ideas about the motions of the planets were formed, and the nature of the Sun, Moon and the Earth in the Universe were explored philosophically. The Earth was believed to be the center of the Universe with
5060-480: The observation of young stars embedded in molecular clouds and the cores of galaxies. Observations from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have been particularly effective at unveiling numerous galactic protostars and their host star clusters . With the exception of infrared wavelengths close to visible light, such radiation is heavily absorbed by the atmosphere, or masked, as
5152-537: The old format of using green screens , and still ends with Horkeimer's closing phrase, "Keep Looking Up." For the show's 40th anniversary episode (October 31 – November 6, 2016) Tomita's version of Debussy's Arabesque No. 1 was used once again briefly as the show's theme music. For more than four decades, the show's weekly episodes were produced in a five-minute length format. One-minute length versions of these episodes were also produced for public television stations which preferred that shorter format. Starting with
5244-534: The particles produced when cosmic rays hit the Earth's atmosphere. Gravitational-wave astronomy is an emerging field of astronomy that employs gravitational-wave detectors to collect observational data about distant massive objects. A few observatories have been constructed, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory LIGO . LIGO made its first detection on 14 September 2015, observing gravitational waves from
5336-497: The planet Uranus , the first new planet found. During the 18–19th centuries, the study of the three-body problem by Leonhard Euler , Alexis Claude Clairaut , and Jean le Rond d'Alembert led to more accurate predictions about the motions of the Moon and planets. This work was further refined by Joseph-Louis Lagrange and Pierre Simon Laplace , allowing the masses of the planets and moons to be estimated from their perturbations. Significant advances in astronomy came about with
5428-470: The planets with great accuracy, a field known as celestial mechanics . More recently the tracking of near-Earth objects will allow for predictions of close encounters or potential collisions of the Earth with those objects. The measurement of stellar parallax of nearby stars provides a fundamental baseline in the cosmic distance ladder that is used to measure the scale of the Universe. Parallax measurements of nearby stars provide an absolute baseline for
5520-540: The position as host and recorded episodes for the months of October and November 2010. The episodes were written and produced by Bill Dishong. The episodes were uploaded to YouTube on September 22, 2010, and can be seen on the Miami Science Museum's channel here ( Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer 's channel on YouTube ). Jack Kelly announced in November 2010 that a national search for a new host would start in December 2010. Dean Regas
5612-721: The potential for life to adapt to challenges on Earth and in outer space . Cosmology (from the Greek κόσμος ( kosmos ) "world, universe" and λόγος ( logos ) "word, study" or literally "logic") could be considered the study of the Universe as a whole. South Florida PBS South Florida PBS, Inc. is a non-profit organization which owns the two largest public television stations in South Florida , WPBT in Miami and WXEL-TV in West Palm Beach . It also owns WURH-CD ,
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#17328589749925704-576: The pre-colonial Middle Ages, but modern discoveries show otherwise. For over six centuries (from the recovery of ancient learning during the late Middle Ages into the Enlightenment), the Roman Catholic Church gave more financial and social support to the study of astronomy than probably all other institutions. Among the Church's motives was finding the date for Easter . Medieval Europe housed
5796-476: The procedures for locating astronomical bodies. "Arc to Arcturus, speed on to Spica", was a common phrase used to define the technique to find Arcturus and Spica using the handle of the Big Dipper . Following the arc of the handle will lead to Arcturus as shown in the diagram. Another method Horkheimer used to teach viewers about the stars was to tell stories about them. The Pleiades , for example, also known as
5888-505: The program and were replaced by Trace Dominguez. On the weekly program, the host informs the viewer of significant astronomical events for the upcoming week, including key constellations, stars and planets, lunar eclipses and conjunctions, as well as historical and scientific information about these events. The program is available free to all Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) public television stations, educational institutions and astronomy clubs. A month of episodes can be recorded from
5980-482: The program until leaving the show following the recording of the episodes for November 2019. Trace Dominguez, an award-winning science communicator and educator, was named the permanent host; and his first appearance on the show was in December 2019. Ata Sarajedini, PhD of Florida Atlantic University was named as a series consultant. There have been 48 seasons of Star Gazers and the show has produced more than 2,400 episodes as of January 2024. Horkheimer's last season
6072-404: The program's name was changed to Star Gazers . The show's new opening sequence featured a new logo and new theme music done in an alternative/progressive/space rock style (like Muse ). With the name change, the program's format was also changed to include two, and later three, co-hosts who appeared together in each episode. A new Web site for the show was launched as well. The show still retains
6164-458: The properties examined include luminosity , density , temperature , and chemical composition. Because astrophysics is a very broad subject, astrophysicists typically apply many disciplines of physics, including mechanics , electromagnetism , statistical mechanics , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics , relativity , nuclear and particle physics , and atomic and molecular physics . In practice, modern astronomical research often involves
6256-468: The properties of more distant stars, as their properties can be compared. Measurements of the radial velocity and proper motion of stars allow astronomers to plot the movement of these systems through the Milky Way galaxy. Astrometric results are the basis used to calculate the distribution of speculated dark matter in the galaxy. During the 1990s, the measurement of the stellar wobble of nearby stars
6348-459: The question of whether extraterrestrial life exists, and how humans can detect it if it does. The term exobiology is similar. Astrobiology makes use of molecular biology , biophysics , biochemistry , chemistry , astronomy, physical cosmology , exoplanetology and geology to investigate the possibility of life on other worlds and help recognize biospheres that might be different from that on Earth. The origin and early evolution of life
6440-433: The regular weekly episodes, although usually shorter than five minutes. Unlike the regular weekly episodes, the evergreen segments were not intended for broadcast during any particular calendar week and could therefore be broadcast at any time due to the fact that their subject matter lacked expiration dates. Generally, the format and appearance of the evergreen segments resembled that of the discontinued five-minute format of
6532-500: The regular weekly episodes. In September 2020, South Florida PBS started streaming virtual events from the Star Gazers website. Virtual events were special live Star Gazers episodes which were much longer (approximately an hour in length) than either the regular weekly episodes or the evergreen segments. These special live episodes focused on a single astronomical topic and featured interviews with experts. These virtual events used
6624-401: The regular weekly episodes. The evergreen segment was essentially a new type of episode which differed from the regular weekly episode in more than one way. The evergreen segments focused on enduring astronomical phenomena, while the regular weekly episodes focused more on time-sensitive information about current sky events. Evergreen segments were generally longer than the one-minute length of
6716-425: The rotation of the Earth, furthermore, Buridan also developed the theory of impetus (predecessor of the modern scientific theory of inertia ) which was able to show planets were capable of motion without the intervention of angels. Georg von Peuerbach (1423–1461) and Regiomontanus (1436–1476) helped make astronomical progress instrumental to Copernicus's development of the heliocentric model decades later. During
6808-404: The same format with a series of guest hosts filling in for Horkheimer. The show's theme music from its debut in 1976 until October 2011 was Isao Tomita 's electronic rendition of Claude Debussy 's Arabesque No. 1 , from Tomita's album Snowflakes Are Dancing . According to the former Star Gazer website, this is the most frequently asked question the producers receive. On October 3, 2011,
6900-507: The same opening sequence which had been used with the weekly episodes which had been made in the five-minute format (before it had been discontinued). Current and past virtual events were available for viewing on the Star Gazers website. The show educates viewers about astronomical events for the coming week and about astronomy and astronomical history in general. Viewers learn about various constellations and how to find different stars . Horkheimer used catchy phrases to help viewers remember
6992-476: The series. Horkheimer often appeared on news programs to host astronomical events. His final broadcast was for the week of August 30 to September 5, 2010, and can be seen at "Jack Horkheimer Star Gazer" 5 Minute Aug. 30 – Sept. 5, 2010 on YouTube . The show was his 1,708th episode and was titled, Celebrate Labor Day The Cosmic Way With A Giant Triangle Of Stars Overhead . The show was recorded approximately one month before Horkheimer's death. Chris Trigg,
7084-420: The show's change to Star Gazer ; from 1997 to 2011, each Star Gazer episode began with the announcer reciting the following poem: Confused about the cosmos, Can't tell a planet from a star? Then give us just five minutes, And we'll show you what they are. The show is produced in advance and one month of episodes is transmitted to PBS stations and others approximately two weeks prior to broadcast. The show
7176-436: The stars" depending on the translation). Astronomy should not be confused with astrology , the belief system which claims that human affairs are correlated with the positions of celestial objects. Although the two fields share a common origin, they are now entirely distinct. "Astronomy" and " astrophysics " are synonyms. Based on strict dictionary definitions, "astronomy" refers to "the study of objects and matter outside
7268-477: The subject, whereas "astrophysics" is used to describe the physics-oriented version of the subject. However, since most modern astronomical research deals with subjects related to physics, modern astronomy could actually be called astrophysics. Some fields, such as astrometry , are purely astronomy rather than also astrophysics. Various departments in which scientists carry out research on this subject may use "astronomy" and "astrophysics", partly depending on whether
7360-590: The two stations to pool resources and fundraising efforts to offer more program content. However, the two stations have separate governing boards and conduct separate fundraising efforts. Between them, the two stations serve a potential audience of over six million people from the Treasure Coast to the Florida Keys . The two stations have long had significant overlap in the three largest counties in their service area– Palm Beach , Broward and Miami-Dade . Despite
7452-534: The universe consists of a multitude of galaxies. With this Hubble formulated the Hubble constant , which allowed for the first time a calculation of the age of the Universe and size of the Observable Universe, which became increasingly precise with better meassurements, starting at 2 billion years and 280 million light-years, until 2006 when data of the Hubble Space Telescope allowed a very accurate calculation of
7544-409: The universe; origin of cosmic rays ; general relativity and physical cosmology , including string cosmology and astroparticle physics . Astrochemistry is the study of the abundance and reactions of molecules in the Universe , and their interaction with radiation . The discipline is an overlap of astronomy and chemistry . The word "astrochemistry" may be applied to both the Solar System and
7636-409: The weekly episodes produced for the month of December 2019, South Florida PBS discontinued production in the five-minute length format in favor of the one-minute length format; the reason given was that the shorter one-minute length episodes would be more appealing for online viewing. During the month of December 2019, South Florida PBS introduced evergreen segments, which were produced in addition to
7728-473: Was 2010 and he had hosted 1,708 broadcast episodes before his death. In addition to the weekly televised episodes of Star Gazers , anthologies of selected episodes from the series were released on four home videos. The titles of these episode collections were as follows. In 1994, Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler won the Astronomical League 's Outstanding Achievement Award. The award was mentioned in
7820-640: Was used to detect large extrasolar planets orbiting those stars. Theoretical astronomers use several tools including analytical models and computational numerical simulations ; each has its particular advantages. Analytical models of a process are better for giving broader insight into the heart of what is going on. Numerical models reveal the existence of phenomena and effects otherwise unobserved. Theorists in astronomy endeavor to create theoretical models that are based on existing observations and known physics, and to predict observational consequences of those models. The observation of phenomena predicted by
7912-571: Was a high school science teacher who had spent more than a decade teaching to students with disabilities. Hidalgo moved with her family to the northeastern United States after making her last appearance on the program, which was broadcast in March 2014. In 2019, South Florida PBS decided to try a different approach to producing the show. They wanted to shorten the regular weekly episodes to make them more appealing for online viewing. Before these changes were implemented, Albury and Regas continued to co-host
8004-511: Was an early analog computer designed to calculate the location of the Sun , Moon , and planets for a given date. Technological artifacts of similar complexity did not reappear until the 14th century, when mechanical astronomical clocks appeared in Europe. Astronomy flourished in the Islamic world and other parts of the world. This led to the emergence of the first astronomical observatories in
8096-532: Was formulated, heavily evidenced by cosmic microwave background radiation , Hubble's law , and the cosmological abundances of elements . Space telescopes have enabled measurements in parts of the electromagnetic spectrum normally blocked or blurred by the atmosphere. In February 2016, it was revealed that the LIGO project had detected evidence of gravitational waves in the previous September. The main source of information about celestial bodies and other objects
8188-472: Was playing a character in order to generate enthusiasm for the show. The show started broadcasting in foreign markets in 1989. From its inception until 1997, the show was named Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler . With the rise of the Internet, however, viewers let the show's producers and WPBT know that, instead of the program's Web site showing up at the top of search results, search engines were giving results for
8280-674: Was the first to try out and, in November 2010, filmed episodes for the month of December. Regas was given topics for future shows and asked to write scripts for the January shows of 2011. Regas went back in December and filmed the January episodes. Ed Romano, an amateur astronomer from Rhode Island, hosted the February 2011 episodes. James C. Albury , Coordinator of the Kika Silva Pla Planetarium at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida ,
8372-497: Was the host for the month of April. Dean Regas returned as host for the months of March and May 2011. In June 2011, Albury and Regas were named as permanent co-hosts. The September 2011 episodes ended with the announcement that the program would be appearing in October 2011 with the new name, "Star Gazers" and the new website stargazersonline.org . Marlene Hidalgo joined the program as its first female co-host in October 2011. Hidalgo
8464-476: Was visible in 1986, he did shows about them. In 1997, specific shows were made when Mars Pathfinder landed on Mars and when the spacecraft Galileo orbited Jupiter , both of which were major headlines in the news. The show has many catchphrases that viewers associate with Horkheimer. Horkheimer's appearances on the show are always marked with his opening line, "Greetings, greetings, fellow star gazers!" and his signature closing line, "Keep looking up!" These are
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