Science
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Minnesota Starwatch for February 2022
By Deane Morrison, U of M All month long, the knot of bright winter constellations occupies center stage in the south during the prime early evening viewing hours. This grouping boasts five stars that rank among the top 10 brightest in the night sky: Sirius (No. 1), Capella (No. 6), Rigel (No. 7), Procyon (No.…
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Minnesota Starwatch for December 2021
By Deane Morrison, U of M After a long stint as an evening “star,” Venus plunges into the sunset on its next trip between Earth and the sun. It’s a short trip, though; in less than a month, Venus reappears in the morning sky. Jupiter remains a beacon in the southwest, while dimmer Saturn shimmers…
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Minnesota Starwatch for September 2017
September opens with Venus hosting winter constellations in the eastern predawn sky. West of the planet, the bright star Procyon, in Canis Minor, the little dog, rises at almost the same time as Venus, followed about 40 minutes later by the brightest of stars: Sirius, in Canis Major, the big dog. As the month…
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Minnesota Starwatch for September 2017
September opens with Venus hosting winter constellations in the eastern predawn sky. West of the planet, the bright star Procyon, in Canis Minor, the little dog, rises at almost the same time as Venus, followed about 40 minutes later by the brightest of stars: Sirius, in Canis Major, the big dog. As the month…
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Do you have eclipse fever?
With all the hype over the past weeks about the Aug. 21 solar eclipse in the United States, we might not even see it. Meteorologists are already talking about the probability of rain Monday. But they could be wrong, too. So, are you ready? Do you have viewing glasses? Will you and the kids…
