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Venus crosses the Sun in once-in-a-lifetime event

By WTOP Staff

Greg Redfern, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – The past several weeks have been glorious for sky watchers as we have had a Supermoon, an annular solar eclipse and to top it all off, a partial lunar eclipse Monday morning and the historic Venus transit of the Sun on Tuesday.

June’s Full Moon is called the Strawberry Full Moon as this is prime picking time for strawberries. The Full Moon will be eclipsed 38 percent at maximum eclipse and will cover the southern portion of the Moon. This lunar eclipse follows two weeks after the annular eclipse of the Sun which occurred at New Moon.

The partial lunar eclipse is not going to be much for us to see in the WTOP listening area, as the Earth’s shadow begins to cover the Strawberry Full Moon after the Moon has set for us. But it may be worth taking a peek Monday morning at 5:30 in the West to see if any subtle shading from the Earth’s outer shadow, or penumbra, is visible.

Read more about the partial eclipse of the moon here and here.

The big event in the astronomical world occurs Tuesday/Wednesday as the second planet from the Sun, Venus, crosses (transits) the face of the Sun as seen from Earth and for the first time ever, witnessed by humans from space.

Venus last transited the Sun in 2004 and will not do so again until 2117, so it is literally a once-in-a-lifetime event.

In checking the weather forecast for the D.C. area it will probably be cloudy 6:04 p.m. Tuesday when Venus aligns with the Sun’s limb. The transit will be visible in the D.C. metro region for the next two and half hours until the Sun sets at 8:30 p.m. Do not look directly at the Sun as you will suffer eye damage. Only use an approved and safe solar filter to view the Sun.

For a complete breakdown of the transit follow this link.

The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) will have telescopes available for viewing this event if the weather permits.

Regardless of the weather in the D.C. area there are a number of Internet broadcasts that will be carrying the transit live:

For background on the planet Venus check out this link and for the historical perspective of Venus transits follow this link.

Venus crossing the Sun will be witnessed by humans in space for the very first time in history as the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will have a view from low Earth orbit.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory will also be witness to the transit.

Finally, the transit of Venus is making history in that the Internet Age will bring the astronomical event to the desktop, laptop, smartphone and tablet of billions of users worldwide. This technology was not available during the 2004 transit. There is a VenusTransit Phone app available for download.

So be a part of history and tune in to watch the “Goddess of Beauty and Love” make her final crossing of the Sun for the next 105 years.

See what else is up 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.

Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(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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