Skywatchers will have no shortage of reasons to gaze upward on Friday as a triple-threat of celestial events will be visible.
The first is not all that rare. The full moon of February is known as the “Full Snow Moon,” according to the Farmers Almanac.
“This name dates back to the Native Americans during Colonial times when the Moons were a way of tracking the seasons. And the Native Americans were right,” the almanac says. “On average, February is the USA’s snowiest month, according to data from the National Weather Service.”
But this full moon comes with a little something extra. It also happens to coincide with a “penumbral eclipse.” These eclipses, which occur when the moon falls into the earth’s shadow, aren’t as spectacular as full lunar eclipses, the moon will appear subtly darker than usual, but the event is still a good reminder of the workings of our solar system.
As if the above events weren’t enough, Friday night will also see the closest passing of a comet to earth since 1983. The comet knows as 45P will come within 7.4 million miles of our planet. It should be visible in the eastern sky in the constellation Hercules around 3 a.m. Saturday morning. Binoculars or a telescope will be helpful and the comet should be recognizable by a bright blue-green head with a tail.
As for the eclipse, the West Coast will only see a partial version of the already subtle event, but the best viewing times will be around moonrise, which is scheduled for 5:32 p.m.
When and where you’ll be able to Friday night’s eclipse.Courtesy/NASA
Of course, all of the above is dependent on clear skies, which western Oregon has not seen a lot of lately. The National Weather Service currently has “showers diminishing” on Friday evening, so if we’re lucky, we might get a break in the clouds at just the right time.
Keep your fingers crossed.
— Kale Williams
kwilliams@oregonian.com
503-294-4048
@sfkale
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