Why You Need to Look Skyward on Friday Night

MIAMI — Miami area residents looking for free entertainment on Friday night and Saturday need only look skyward for an unusual show. That’s the night the “snow” full moon, the comet 45P and a penumbral lunar eclipse are all expected to make appearances.

Start looking skyward at 7:30 p.m. or check out Slooh.com for a play-by-play. The website charges $4.95 per month but is offering a free trial.

A penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow (penumbra). The sky will darken, but not completely. You’ll be able to see the eclipse throughout most of eastern South America, eastern Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Africa and western Asia. The phenomena will be visible in some parts of the world on Friday and on Saturday in others.

According to Earthsky.org, Friday offers the best viewing in North America after sunset. The best views will be “from the eastern portions of North and South America,” EarthSky reported.

As for that full moon, it was named the Snow Moon by Native Americans. February’s moon gets that name because that is the month the heaviest snows tend to fall. Considering an abundance of snow can make hunting a bit difficult, some also called February’s full moon the “Hunger Moon.”

The final treat in the weekend's celestial trio of events is the appearance of Comet 45P. Skywatchers will need to stay up extra late, however, to really catch a glimpse of it. The best viewing time is anticipated to be about 3 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11.

"Comet 45P, visible after sunset over the last two months-through both binoculars and telescopes-makes its closest approach to Earth on February 11, when it will be 0.08 Astronomical Units (7.4 million miles) from Earth,” NASA’s Jane Houston Jones said in February’s What’s Up podcast. “It'll be visible in the morning sky in the constellation Hercules.”

While the comet will be visible, many stargazers are recommending that folks still bring out binoculars or a telescope to catch a good look at the comet’s blue-green streak in the sky.

To find out about other upcoming stargazing opportunities, check out this related story: “2017 Guide To Meteor Showers, Total Solar Eclipses, Other Celestial Events.”

This story was written by Patch's Sherri Lonon.

Image by SATHIASEELAN K used via Flickr under Creative Commons