Astronomy
-
Minnesota Skies: November 2020
Published10/26/2020 , By Thaddeus LaCoursiere and Deane Morrison
Despite the recent (and ongoing) (and upcoming) snow, it’s still fall and as you shake off your sugar rush from the Halloween (physically distanced) festivities. In celebration of the season’s snow (and to try to distract from it), head out and take a look at some of these deep sky… -
Space or Brain?
Published10/12/2020
In celebration of the Mysteries of Your Brain show, opening in our planetarium this weekend, we have a little quiz for you called “Space or Brain”! It might be harder than you think! Click the “Answer” tab to reveal! -
Lighting Up the Universe
Published10/06/2020 , By Kaitlin Ehret, planetarium outreach educator
Have you ever wondered what the world looks like to a bee buzzing around your flowers, or why the sky is blue? Have you ever wondered how astronomers can take two pictures of the same nebula and end up with vastly different images, or why those colorful nebulae look like… -
Minnesota Skies: October 2020
Published09/25/2020 , By Deane Morrison and Thaddeus
October begins and ends with a full Moon. The first rises the evening of October 1, only about three hours past the exact moment of fullness. Following it into the eastern sky is Mars, now too bright to be washed out by any lunar luster. Over to the south, brilliant… -
Minnesota Skies: September 2020
Published08/28/2020
Traditionally, Indigenous people keenly observed celestial objects, especially the Moon, and kept track of the passing of time. Each full Moon marked the passing of one month and reflected the “moon time” of women (menstruation). Seasonal activities that were culturally significant each month became the name of each month. Some… -
Minnesota Skies: August 2020
Published07/30/2020
Traditionally, Indigenous people keenly observed celestial objects, especially the Moon, and kept track of the passing of time. Each full Moon marked the passing of one month and reflected the “moon time” of women (menstruation). Seasonal activities that were culturally significant each month became the name of each month. Some… -
Minnesota Skies: July 2020
Published06/30/2020 , By Deane Morrison, Thaddeus LaCoursiere & Sarah Komperud
This month Jupiter and Saturn dominate the evening sky, while Venus climbs into prominence as a predawn planet. -
City Stardust: Micrometeorites in Our Own Backyards
Published06/09/2020
Micrometeorites are some of the oldest matter that exists. Until recently, scientists searched for them only in remote places, such as the Antarctic, where pristine conditions ensured that these mineral specks really came from space. Experts assumed that it would be impossible to find micrometeorites in inhabited areas, where natural… -
Minnesota Skies: June 2020
Published05/27/2020 , By Deane Morrison, Thaddeus LaCoursiere & Sarah Komperud
Venus has just left the evening sky, and now Jupiter and Saturn are moving in. By mid-month, both will be up in the southeast before midnight. Jupiter, by far the brighter planet, shines west of Saturn and leads the ringed planet across the night sky. -
Minnesota Skies: May 2020
Published04/30/2020 , By Deane Morrison, Thaddeus LaCoursiere & Sarah Komperud
In May we lose the two brightest lights in the evening sky: Venus and Sirius, the brightest of stars. Sirius begins the month very low in the southwest and drops out of sight by mid-month. In the last two weeks of May, most of the other bright winter stars also…