Astro Bob

  In this photo the zodiacal light is the tall, diffuse shaft of light that angles up from beneath the constellation Leo. Bright Venus glares near its base, and the Beehive star cluster appears father up its narrow end. I made the picture on Oct. 16 two hours before sunrise (5:30 a.m.) from Duluth, Minn. facing east over Lake Superior.  Bob King If you have access to a dark eastern sky I encourage you to get up about 2 hours before sunrise to see the zodiacal light sometime in the next two weeks. This enormous cone of glowing comet and asteroid dust resembles the soft, smoky look of the Milky Way but without its granulated, starry texture. Every clear morning it points upward from the eastern horizon like a subtle searchlight beam 2 to 2 1/2 hours before sunrise. Now through Oct. 29 is the best time to see it because no moon will spoil the darkness. The zodiacal light is widest and brightest near the horizon and tapers to a narrow cone as you look farther up. Be aware that it's re