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Good Question: 'Reply All': Summer Edition

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's almost the Fourth of July, and most Minnesotans are just getting into the swing of summer.

Many of you emailed questions relating to your favorite season.

Sharon Sykora wanted to know: How do you grow seedless watermelon?

They were invented about 70 years ago.

Basically, scientists take two different kinds of watermelons and breed them together to create the seed you use to grow seedless watermelon.

Or an easier way to think about is that the seedless watermelon is like a mule -- it's the sterile animal that comes from a cross between a horse and donkey.

Carrie Hegstrom of Stillwater asked: How is the time of sunset determined?

There are a number of complicated algorithms that have to do with the elevation, longitude and latitude of where you are, the tilt and rotation of the Earth and more. The sunset is defined as the point where the sun disappears below the horizon. On June 28, that's 9:03 p.m., but we can see the light for longer because the light reflects back on the clouds and particles in the sky.

Vicke Kringle of Longville asked: Where does "Up North" start in Minnesota?

I went to three experts for this one. When it comes to your weather forecast, Chris Shaffer tells me he considers it north of St. Cloud.

Explore Minnesota says there's no set definition, just think of it as 50 miles north of where you live.

Or you could sit back and listen to Josh Goolsbee on Bay Lake. He says: "Once you escape a certain point on your way to the lake. You're north of the tension line, your stresses and your worries go away, you can breathe a sigh of relief, you're goin' to the lake."

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