Photo credit:  Bryan Hansel 

From Boreal Community Media - July 31, 2018

The Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium is hitting the road from Duluth to the end of the Gunflint Trail Aug. 11-18. 

The traveling event will coincide with the annual Perseid Meteor shower where stargazers can expect to see 50-70 meteors or shooting stars per hour. The mobile GeoDome Theater creates an immersive learning environment that is interactive and engaging. University of Minnesota Duluth staff and students will lead attendees through a dynamic digital space exploration experience. Accompanying the planetarium will be telescopes offering live sky viewing with consultation, thanks to volunteers from the Arrowhead Astronomical Society. 

All events are free, with daily programming that will run from 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.* Planetarium shows will be offered on the half hour. In the event of cloudy skies, programming will be limited to the planetarium. 

Dates and Locations - All events are free, with daily programming that will run from 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. except in Grand Portage.

Saturday, August 11: UMD Planetarium, Duluth 

Sunday, August 12: Tettegouche Visitor Center, Silver Bay 

Monday, August 13: Birch Grove Community Center, Tofte 

Tuesday, August 14: Voyageur Brewing Company, Grand Marais 

Wednesday, August 15: Grand Portage Community Center, Grand Portage* (hours 5 p.m.- 8 p.m.) 

Thursday, August 16: Seagull Lake Community Center, upper Gunflint Trail 

Friday, August 17: Seagull Lake Community Center, upper Gunflint Trail 

The end of the tour wraps up with two nights at the end of the Gunflint Trail – known for its pure dark sky with a reading of a class 1 on the Bortle scale, which translates into an excellent dark sky with minimal light pollution.