Evenings are still a bit chilly for long stretches at the eyepiece, and with spring break, the next observatory open house isn’t until the first Friday in April. What’s an astronomer to do in the meantime?
I suggest you make some cocoa, cozy in, and discover (or re-discover) the astronomy happiness that is Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.
Did you know that the classic Cosmos series is available for free on hulu.com? If you’re looking for something to do over spring break, I highly recommend a marathon Cosmos day. There are only 13 episodes, and at an hour each, you can easily get through them all in one marvelous day of Carl Sagan goodness. Fun, right?
If you’ve never seen Cosmos, you’re in for a treat. The series was first broadcast by PBS in 1980. Dr. Sagan narrates, deftly explaining a wide range topics in astronomy and physics. The special effects may seem a bit dated, but the usage is helpful to understanding, not just for flashy-flash.
I’m biased, of course, but I think Sagan is brilliant. He spends the series looking sharp in earth-toned turtlenecks and his signature fitted corduroy jacket. He dazzles us by connecting eras in ancient history with modern scientific discoveries. Sagan is a delight to watch and listen to and his fascination with the universe is contagious.
Here’s a short summary of the first two episodes. I hope it will tempt you into watching all of the episodes. 
Cosmos Episode 1: “Shores of the Cosmic Ocean”
Despite Sagan’s flair for dramatic language and his delightful voice, the first half of the pilot episode is probably the least exciting, at least at its start. It has Sagan inside a “starship of the imagination” traveling from distant galaxy clusters en route to the Solar System and planet Earth. It’s mostly him talking about the wide variety of celestial wonders in our universe. Although I would be happy listening to Carl read the terms and agreements of the latest itunes update, I’m not sure all viewers will find the this portion of the episode all that dazzling.
Happily though, after the whole starship portion, the episode picks up the pace. We’re soon treated to a description of how in 300 BC Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of Earth. It is classic Sagan fabulousness. The footage of him in Egypt with his thick frock of hair blowing in the Mediterranean wind doesn’t hurt either. The rest of the episode is a whirlwind tour of human knowledge from the library of Alexandria to present day.
Cosmos Episode 2: “One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue”
The second episode is all about the evolution of life on Earth. Sagan starts by using story of samurai warriors and Heike crabs to illustrate artificial selection. Later an animated piece illustrates the journey from single cell to human. it is a 4 billion year process condensed into 40 seconds and is absolutely brilliant.
Sagan later talks about the The Miller-Urey experiment and how it simulated in the lab the conditions on a primordial Earth in order to produce the building blocks of life. Finally he speculates about life elsewhere in the solar system.
The second episode includes lots of shots of Sagan in lush pastoral settings. Overall, a delightful episode.
Even when the weather does warm up, I think I’ll continue to make time for some Cosmos watchings.
I hope you enjoy the episodes as much as I do!
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Posted in Indoor Astronomy
. The Open House is cancelled tonight due to weather. We’ll try again Friday 6 April 8:30-10:30PM.
