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Astro Bob's Backyard Astronomy
After a little break (of 25 years or so) Bob King is celebrating his retirement with a return to The North 103.3's airwaves!After almost 40 years with the Duluth News Tribune, Bob is now retired. But scratch a print guy and you'll find a radio guy; King and then-UMD Planetarium Director Glen Langhorst hosted Startalk on KUMD for several years in the early '90s.Listen for Astro Bob every other Tuesday at 8am on Northland Morning.

Astro Bob's Backyard Astronomy: "escaping the wrath of the heavens" and more

The North 103.3 | By Lisa Johnson
Published November 5, 2019 at 1:23 PM CST

This morning on StarDate, we discovered that, over the years, comets have gotten some seriously bad press.

In fact, in 1910, folks were so concerned about the gases they feared were emitted by the tail of Halley's Comet, they were buying up pills alleged to combat the toxins (Apparently for those too poor to afford the rental of a "submarine boat").

Newspaper clipping from 1910

The perils of comets (none), the perils of the Mercury transit (none, as long as you don't look right into the sun) and other things you don't have to worry about, this morning on Astro Bob's Backyard Astronomy.

You can read Bob King's blog here, but if you want to bookmark some of the live streaming events so you're ready for Monday, you can find a couple here and here.
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Environment & Outdoors Bob KingMercuryAstro Bob's Backyard AstronomyCometsComet PillsMercury TransitSun
Lisa Johnson
Lisa Johnson started her broadcast career anchoring the television news at her high school and spinning country music at KWWK/KOLM Radio in Rochester, Minnesota. She was a reporter and news anchor at KTHI in Fargo, ND (not to mention the host of a children's program called "Lisa's Lane") and a radio reporter and anchor in Moorhead, Bismarck, Wahpeton and Fergus Falls.Since 1991, she has hosted Northland Morning on KUMD. One of the best parts of her job includes "paying it forward" by mentoring upcoming journalists and broadcasters on the student news team that helps produce Northland Morning. She also loves introducing the different people she meets in her job to one another, helping to forge new "community connections" and partnerships.Lisa has amassed a book collection weighing over two tons, and she enjoys reading, photography, volunteering with Animal Allies Humane Society and fantasizing about farmland. She goes to bed at 8pm, long before her daughter, two cats, or three dogs.
See stories by Lisa Johnson
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