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Astronomy

Friday, November 16, 2012

Leonid Meteor Shower to Peak Nov. 17, 20

The Leonid meteor shower will peak during pre-dawn hours in Duluth.

Keep your eyes on the sky during the pre-dawn hours of Nov. 17 and 20, because that's when the famous Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak.  These meteors are fast (about 40 miles per second) and can leave trails of smoke, according to Astronomy.com. They will appear to radiate from the constellation Leo the Lion and can vary in color. "Many Leonids are also bright. Usually, the meteors are white or bluish-white, but in recent years some observers reported yellow-pink and copper-colored ones," according to Astronomy.com.  Here's one of the 10 coolest things to know about the Leonids, from Space.com: "Leonids are spawned by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Every 33 years, it rounds the Sun and then goes back to the outer solar system. On each …

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Venus to Cross Face of Sun in Rare Event

Venus will transit across the sun for the last time this century and probably your lifetime on June 5, 6.

The transit of Venus across the face of the sun will be a rare sight. In fact, it will be the last time it will happen this century and probably your lifetime. But don't look at it directly without protecting your eyes. Sunglasses aren't adequate. According to NASA, the passage of Venus across the sun only happens twice in a century. It happened in 2004 and is scheduled to occur again on Tuesday, June 5, and Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Although the entire eclipse will be visible from certain countries, in the United States and the western hemisphere it will only be visible as it begins Tuesday afternoon. The sun will set before the transit ends. In the eastern hemisphere, the transit can be observed at sunrise and early Wednesday morning. …

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