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Archive for the ‘Astronomy’ Category



Summer solstice ushers in astronomical summer, longest day of the year

Tuesday, June 20th, 2017 7:09am MDT

Astronomical summer arrives in Thornton tonight and with the solstice we will enjoy our longest day of the year. Summer officially begins at 10:24pm MDT tonight.  The Summer Solstice occurs when the North Pole is tilted at it closest to the sun – 23.4 degrees.  This results in the longest day of the year in […]

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A whopping seven Earth-size planets were just found orbiting a nearby star

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017 12:26pm MDT

Three of them may be habitable NASA/JPL-Caltech Seven Earth-size exoplanets orbit the star TRAPPIST-1. Three orbit very close to the star and may be too hot to sustain liquid water on the surface; one may be too cold. But the three planets in the middle may be juuuust right. Planet-hunters are always on the lookout […]

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Lake Michigan Meteor Lights Up Sky In Several States

Tuesday, February 7th, 2017 8:20am MDT

A meteor lit up the sky Monday night and was spotted by several people across the Midwest, according to reports. The meteor, which was seen passing across Lake Michigan, was witnessed by spectators in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan around 1:30 a.m. local time, the American Meteor Society reported. Several people from the Midwest took […]

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Astronomical winter to begin Wednesday with the shortest day of the year

Tuesday, December 20th, 2016 11:41am MDT

Astronomical winter arrives in Thornton early tomorrow morning and with the solstice also comes the shortest day of the year. Winter officially begins at 3:44am on Wednesday, December 21, 2016. The Winter Solstice occurs when the North Pole is tilted at its furthest from the sun – 23.5 degrees away. This results in the shortest […]

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John Glenn, First US Astronaut to Orbit the Earth, Dies at 95

Friday, December 9th, 2016 4:17am MDT

John Glenn, the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the earth, has died at age 95, officials said. Glenn passed away Thursday, more than a week after being admitted to the Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital. The John Glenn College of Public Affairs at OSU made the announcement. U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement […]

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Elon Musk unveils plans for colonizing Mars

Wednesday, September 28th, 2016 4:16am MDT

LOS ANGELES — SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk on Tuesday unveiled his plans for colonizing Mars, which could eventually involve a fleet of up to 1,000 spaceships to transport as many as 1 million people to the Red Planet. Musk envisions continuous launches from Earth, with massive rockets returning for reuse and spacecraft refueling in […]

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ESO Discovers Earth-Size Planet in Habitable Zone of Nearest Star

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016 6:05pm MDT

A newly discovered, roughly Earth-sized planet orbiting our nearest neighboring star might be habitable, according to a team of astronomers using the European Southern Observatory’s 3.6-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile, along with other telescopes around the world. The exoplanet is at a distance from its star that allows temperatures mild enough for liquid water […]

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Relieved? NASA opens Planetary Defense Coordination Office

Monday, January 11th, 2016 8:21am MDT

If a monster asteroid is headed towards Earth, perhaps the planet is a little more prepared. NASA announced Friday that the Planetary Defense Coordination Office is now open for business, tasked with a succinct mission: to track and characterizing all asteroids and comets that veer too close to Earth – and figure out a response […]

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2015 brings first Christmas full moon in 38 years

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2015 5:14pm MDT

Christmas 2015 will feature the holiday’s first full moon in 38 years and December 25 won’t see another for 19 more years.  The last Christmas full moon occurred in 1977, the next won’t come until 2034. The Full Cold Moon, as December’s full moon is called, will occur at 4:11am MST early Christmas morning. According to the […]

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Astronomical winter begins with the winter solstice on Monday

Monday, December 21st, 2015 8:31am MDT

Astronomical winter arrives in Thornton tonight and with the solstice also comes the shortest day of the year. Winter officially begins at 9:49pm today. The Winter Solstice occurs when the North Pole is tilted at its furthest from the sun – 23.5 degrees away. This results in the shortest day of the year in the Northern […]

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