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The ‘Supermoon’ and Venus head toward the Sun

By WTOP Staff

Greg Redfern, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Safety Note: Never look directly at the Sun as it will cause eye damage and possibly blindness; Always use approved and safe solar filters.

On May 20 there will be an annular eclipse of the Sun that will be visible for much of the globe, but not the easternmost U.S. In an annular eclipse the New Moon cannot cover the Sun completely so a “ring” is seen around the Sun.

We enjoyed the “Supermoon” recently when the Full Moon coincided with perigee — being closest to the Earth in its monthly orbit and being 14 percent larger in the sky. So two weeks later the New Moon will be near apogee — farthest from the Earth — so its size in the sky is not sufficient to fully cover the Sun. Only 88 percent of the Sun will be eclipsed.

The last annular eclipse of the Sun was in 1994 and I drove to Michigan and back in a singe day to see this event. This eclipse requires going farther west — out to Texas — and even there the eclipse will not be that great as the Sun will be very low in the sky. One would have to travel even farther west to get a decent view.

For more details on this event, follow this link or this link.

For months, Venus has dominated the view of the western night sky. But now Venus is getting lower in the western sky each day after sunset as it heads for the Sun and an historic event.

On June 5/6, the planet Venus will transit the Sun — cross the face of the Sun as seen from Earth. This is literally a once-in-a-lifetime event as the next Venus transit of the Sun is in 2117! The last transit of Venus was in 2004.

For the eastern U.S., we will see the start of the transit at about 6 p.m. on June 5 but the Sun sets at about 8:28 p.m. while the transit is underway.

For more details on this event follow this link.

For tips on how to safely view and photograph these events, follow this link or this link.

I’ll have more on these events as we get closer.

See what else is in the sky this week here.

Follow my daily blog to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. You can email me at skyguyinva@gmail.com.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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