MAS Mentioned in the Star Tribune

[Sureshks]

Hi all,

I was recently interviewed about the Great Conjunction for an article that appeared in today's Star Tribune. Nice pub for the MAS!

https://www.startribune.com/our-suggest ... 573431191/

Suresh

[tugger]

Paywall. Even in incognito mode.

[Deane Clark]

I was able to read it without a subscription. Still under my monthly 3 article limit I guess.

[Sureshks]

Thanks Robert,

If you're stuck behind their firewall and cannot access the story, here it is below:

Our suggestions on how to celebrate winter solstice outdoors
The winter solstice can be a good time to gaze at the skies, glide on skis or listen for owls.
By Richard Chin Star Tribune DECEMBER 21, 2020 — 5:33AM

Now, when the Northern Hemisphere has leaned as far as it can from the sun, it's tempting to just pull down the shades, pour a drink, fire up Netflix and huddle indoors and spend the longest night of the year dreaming of spring.

But the mental and physical benefits of getting outdoors don't apply only when it's warm and sunny. Besides, if you stay indoors, you'll miss something rare and wonderful, something that won't happen again for hundreds of years.

Here are a few things that might get you away from your screens and out of the house.

The great get-together in the sky
If the skies are clear on this Dec. 21, astronomy buffs will be gazing at what they call the best Great Conjunction in nearly 800 years.

A Great Conjunction is when the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn appear extremely close together in the sky from our perspective here on Earth.

On the solstice, the two planets will swim so closely together that they may appear as a single star to the naked eye. The last time the two planets were so closely aligned was 1623, and the last time the pairing was so easily viewable in the night sky was in 1226.

The rare and historic alignment of the two planets, which some suggest produced the star of Bethlehem, is easy to see, even for the most casual star gazer.

You don't need to stay up late or drive to a remote place in the country. Just head outside shortly after sunset and look up into the southwestern sky. Not too far up from the horizon, you should see the two planets close together, shining brightly.

"You can just go out with your friends or family to a park or on the driveway," said Suresh Sreenivasan, a member of the Minnesota Astronomical Society.

Binoculars will help, and a telescope will help even more. But they aren't necessary, Sreenivasan said.

Jupiter will be the one shining with a white light, while the more distant Saturn will have a creamy, yellow golden glow.

Even if it's overcast on the solstice, you should be able to see the two planets as they slowly pull apart to the end of the month.

So go outside and look up. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime pairing!" Sreenivasan said.

Richard Chin • 612-673-1775

Richard Chin is a feature reporter with the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. He has been a longtime Twin Cities-based journalist who has covered crime, courts, transportation, outdoor recreation and human interest stories.

richard.chin@startribune.com 612-673-1775 rrchin

Suresh