Minnesota Ursids Meteor Shower and Best Stargazing Xmas Nights!

Minnesota Ursids Meteor Shower and Best Stargazing Xmas Nights!

by | Dec 18, 2024 | people/passions

Minnesota Ursids Meteor Shower and Best Stargazing Xmas Nights!

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The Ursids are associated with Comet 8P/Tuttle, a periodic comet that follows a 13.5-year elliptical orbit around the sun.

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The Ursid meteor shower is active between Tuesday, December 17th and Thursday, December 26th and this year will peak on Saturday, December 21st and Sunday, December 22nd. The moon will be slight over half full.

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Ursids

The Ursids are often neglected due to the fact it peaks just before Christmas and the rates are much less than the Geminds, which peaks just a week before the Ursids. Observers will normally see 5 -10 Ursids per hour during the late morning hours on the date of maximum activity. There have been occasional outbursts when rates have exceeded 25 per hour. These outbursts appear unrelated to the perihelion dates of comet 8P/Tuttle. This shower is strictly a northern hemisphere event as the radiant fails to clear the horizon or does so simultaneously with the start of morning twilight as seen from the southern tropics.In 2024, a half-illuminated moon will be present in the morning sky and will obscure the fainter meteors.

Shower details – Radiant: 14:38 +75.4° – ZHR: 10 – Velocity: 20.5 miles/sec (medium – 33.1km/sec) – Parent Object: 8P/Tuttle

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More Star Dates To Note

Best Stargazing December

Monday, December 30th, 7:00 pm – 11:45 pm

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To watch the Ursid meteor shower in Minnesota, you can find a dark, open space with an unobstructed view of the sky. Some good places to look for the Ursids include: 

Voyageurs National Park

Located on Minnesota’s northern border, this park is a great place to watch astronomical events. The park has reduced its light pollution by retrofitting all of its lighting.

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Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park

Located in southeastern Minnesota, this park is a good place to look for the Ursids.
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Here are some tips for watching the Ursids: 

Dress warmly and bring a sleeping bag.

Plan to spend a few hours watching, starting around midnight and continuing until dawn.

Look for the Ursids near the star Kochab in the Little Dipper.

If you can’t find the Little Dipper, use the Big Dipper. The two outer stars in the Big Dipper’s bowl always point to Polaris, which marks the end of the Little Dipper’s handle.

Try to block out the last quarter moon with a building or vehicle.

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Ursid Meteor Shower to Peak Ahead of Christmas Eve! Here's How You Can Watch It | Weather.com

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Event

Minnesota Ursids Meteor Shower and Best Stargazing Xmas Nights!

Saturday, December 21st – Sunday, December 22nd,10:00 pm – 3:00 am

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Location

Voyageurs National Park

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park

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ICYMI

Cirque Dreams Holidaze – Minneapolis, MN

Split Rock Lighthouse: Photography & Art at the Rock Featuring Ken Harmon – Two Harbors, MN

Split Rock Lighthouse: Photography & Art at the Rock Featuring Ken Harmon – Two Harbors, MN

by | Jun 30, 2024 | art/design

Ken Harmon

Photography & Art at the Rock

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For the month of July, our featured photographer is Ken Harmon.

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Photography & Art at the Rock is a monthly exhibit in the lobby of the Split Rock Lighthouse Visitor Center that showcases local artists and photographers of the area.

Minnesota has been home to Ken Harmon since moving here in 1981, where he began regularly visiting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and other parts of the Minnesota Arrowhead region. Beginning in 1997, he and his wife owned a cabin near Grand Marais where their family enjoyed the area for 25 years. Ken continued exploring the area, learning how to photograph the landscapes of the BWCA, Superior National Forest, and the north shore of Lake Superior.

Now residing in Duluth, MN, his goal is to capture images through a variety of intimate landscape scenes that showcase the beauty of the four seasons and share them with the public to highlight this very special region. Ken’s work has been published regionally in print and online.

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Photography & Art at the Rock Featuring Ken Harmon

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Event

Photography & Art at the Rock

Ken Harmon show on exhibit, July 1st – 31st

Meet Ken Harmon on-site, July 6th and 20th from 10 – 6 pm.

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Location

Split Rock Lighthouse

3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Road
 Two Harbors, MN
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ICYMI

Grand Opening of the Itasca Rock Garden – Albert Lee, MN

Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting at Split Rock Lighthouse – Two Harbors, MN

Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting at Split Rock Lighthouse – Two Harbors, MN

by | Nov 5, 2023 | events/locations

Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting

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Split Rock Lighthouse: This annual event commemorates the sinking of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald and the loss of her 29 crew members on November 10th, 1975. It is also a time to reflect on the memory of all lives lost in Great Lakes shipwrecks.

The lighthouse, fog signal building, and visitor center will be open. Costumed interpreters will greet visitors and provide historic site and shipwreck information. Throughout the afternoon, visitors can view a film about the Edmund Fitzgerald in the visitor center.

At 4:30 pm, the lighthouse will close temporarily while the names of the crew members are read to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Following the ceremony, the beacon will be lit, and the tower will be open again to tour.

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Beacon Lighting

For nearly 60 years, the light flashed each night at 10-second intervals across more than 20 miles of Lake Superior’s navigable waters. Today, U.S. Coast Guard regulations prohibit the light being used for maritime traffic, but the beacon is still turned on occasionally for ceremonial and maintenance purposes.

Learn more about Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

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Edmund Fitzgerald crew members

McSorley, Ernest M., Master
McCarthy, John H., 1st Mate
Pratt, James A., 2nd Mate
​Armagost, Michael E., 3rd Mate
​Holl, George J., Chief Engineer
​Bindon, Edward F., 1st Asst. Engineer
Edwards, Thomas E., 2nd Asst. Engineer
Haskell, Russell G., 2nd Asst. Engineer
​Champeau, Oliver J., 3rd Asst. Engineer
Beetcher, Frederick J., Porter
​Bentsen, Thomas, Oiler
​Borgeson, Thomas D., AB Maint. Man
Church, Nolan F., Porter
​Cundy, Ransom E., Watchman
Hudson, Bruce L., Deckhand

​Kalmon, Allen G., 2nd Cook
​MacLellan, Gordon F., Wiper
Mazes, Joseph W., Spec. Maint. Man
O’Brien, Eugene W., Wheelsman
​Peckol, Karl A., Watchman
​Poviach, John J., Wheelsman
​Rafferty, Robert C., Steward
​Riippa, Paul M., Deckhand
Simmons, John D., Wheelsman
​Spengler, William J., Watchman
Thomas, Mark A., Deckhand
Walton, Ralph G., Oiler
Weiss, David E., Cadet (Deck)
Wilhelm, Blaine H., Oiler

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Event

Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting

Thursday, November 10th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Tickets included with general admission/MNHS members free

Be sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp as the grounds and trails are unlit.

The weather is unpredictable, please dress accordingly.

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Location

Split Rock Lighthouse
3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Road
Two Harbors, MN
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doitinnorth shop/share gallery

Edmund Fitzgerald They call Gitche gumee T-Shirt

Edmund Fitzgerald They call Gitche gumee T-Shirt

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ICYMI

The Norwegian American: Scandinavian Almond Cake—simply a delight!

North Shore Annual Stargazing and Comet Calander & Bell Museum’s March Star Party!

North Shore Annual Stargazing and Comet Calander & Bell Museum’s March Star Party!

by | Mar 19, 2023 | people/passions

North Shore Vistor

New moon nights – night when the moon is absent from the sky – make for great stargazing!

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Here’s a great way to start – look due north after the sun has set and find the Big Dipper constellation (above) with its telltale 3-star handle and 4-star dipper. In the winter, the dipper is at ‘3-o’clock’ with the handle hanging down.

Best Stargazing March – March 21, 2023 – 7:00 pm – 11:45 pm

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Calander

Lyrids Meteor Shower – April 22, 2023 – 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Best Stargazing April – April 23, 2023 – 8:00 pm – 10:45 pm

Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower – May 5, 2023 – May 6, 2023 – 11:00 pm – 5:00 am

Best Stargazing May – May 19, 2023 – 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Best Stargazing June – June 18, 2023 – 9:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Best Stargazing July – July 17, 2023 – 9:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Perseids Meteor Shower – August 11, 2023 – August 12, 2023 – 11:00 pm – 5:00 am

Best Stargazing August – August 16, 2023 – 9:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Best Stargazing September – September 14, 2023 – 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Draconids Meteor Shower – October 8, 2023 – October 9, 2023 – 10:00 pm – 3:00 am

Best Stargazing October – October 14, 2023 – 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Orionids Meteor Shower – October 20, 2023 – 9:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Taurids Meteor Shower – November 11, 2023 – November 12, 2023 – 10:00 pm – 3:00 am

Best Stargazing November – November 13, 2023 – 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Leonids Meteor Shower – November 17, 2023 – November 18, 2023 – 10:00 pm – 3:00 am

Best Stargazing December – December 12, 2023 – 7:00 pm – 11:45 pm

Geminids Meteor Shower – December 13, 2023 – December 14, 2023 – 10:00 pm – 3:00 am

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doitinnorth shop/share gallery

Stargazing in Minnesota: Practical Astronomy Observation Journal For Sky Lovers & Beginners

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Join us for our next in-person Star Party — all about light! Outside, we’ll have our telescopes set up to observe the Moon and our favorite deep space objects (weather permitting). Inside, you can explore hands-on activities, and our expert astronomy team will guide you through the night sky and highlight cosmic sights in our planetarium.

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March Star Party

Friday, March 31st 8:30 PM –10:00 PM

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Planetarium Show: Your Sky Tonight

Showtimes: 8:40, 9:10, 9:40

 Tickets

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Location

2088 Larpenteur Avenue West

St. Paul, MN

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ICYMI

Minnesota Marine Art Museum: “On the Surface” Porcelain Vessels – Winona, MN

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