{"id":19075,"date":"2017-02-10T22:41:08","date_gmt":"2017-02-10T14:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/itll-take-labor-and-luck-to-spot-a-subtle-lunar-eclipse-and-a-groovy-green-comet\/"},"modified":"2017-02-10T22:41:08","modified_gmt":"2017-02-10T14:41:08","slug":"itll-take-labor-and-luck-to-spot-a-subtle-lunar-eclipse-and-a-groovy-green-comet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/itll-take-labor-and-luck-to-spot-a-subtle-lunar-eclipse-and-a-groovy-green-comet\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019ll take labor and luck to spot a subtle lunar eclipse and a groovy green comet"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Penumbral
A penumbral lunar eclipse not quite as deep as the one we\u2019re about to see occurred over the Far East in November 2012. (Hong Kong Space Museum Photo via Sky & Telescope)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tonight\u2019s the night when a lunar eclipse dims the full moon, and when a recently discovered green comet comes closest to our planet. But unless you know what\u2019s coming, you\u2019re almost certain to miss them.<\/p>\n

You may miss them anyway, depending on the sky conditions. The Friday night forecast for the Seattle area calls for partly cloudy skies with a 20 percent chance of rain.<\/p>\n

Despite Seattle\u2019s odds, it\u2019s worth watching for moonrise around 5:30 p.m. PT on the eastern horizon. By then, the penumbral lunar eclipse will be past its peak (which comes at 4:44 p.m. PT, before Seattle\u2019s sunset). But assuming the skies are clear, you should still be able to make out the faint darkening of the moon\u2019s edge that\u2019s caused by Earth\u2019s shadow.<\/p>\n

The farther you are from urban haze, the better the viewing conditions will be. \u201cYou can even use this event to check the acuteness of your visual perception,\u201d Kelly Beatty, Sky & Telescope\u2019s senior editor, notes in an eclipse preview.<\/p>\n

The penumbral shadow fades out of visibility by 6:15 p.m. After that, we\u2019ll be looking at the typical full moon for February.<\/p>\n

Each month\u2019s full moon has a nickname, and this one is called the \u201cSnow Moon\u201d because its glow is supposed to brighten up fields of snow. (Whoever came up with this definitely didn\u2019t live in Seattle.)<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a super-sparkly Venus visible high in the southwest, with a butterscotch Mars to its upper left.<\/p>\n

\"Green
This telescopic view of Comet 45P\/Honda\u2013Mrkos\u2013Pajdusakova was captured in October 2011 during its previous close flyby (NASA via YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tonight\u2019s other sky highlight is the close encounter with Comet 45P\/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova, which was discovered back in 1948. The comet rounds the sun every five years or so, but this time it\u2019s coming relatively near Earth. It\u2019ll be a mere 7.4 million miles from us at midnight PT, its time of closest approach.<\/p>\n

Telescopes reveal that the comet has a beautiful green glow, due to the fluorescing carbon gas in its coma. But don\u2019t expect to see that with the naked eye. You\u2019d be lucky to spot the comet even with binoculars.<\/p>\n

Once again, the way to maximize your chances is to find a spot with clear, dark skies. Our meteor viewing guide provides some suggestions for the Seattle area.<\/p>\n

\"Comet
This sky chart shows the position of Comet 45P\/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova early Saturday morning. Be forewarned, however: The comet will be moving in the sky, and visible only as a fuzzy green patch without a tail. (NASA via YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you want to give it a try, make a close study of the sky maps provided by Sky & Telescope, Heavens Above and Astro Bob (a.k.a. Bob King). Comet 45P is in the constellation Hercules, which rises in the east around 1 a.m. Saturday. If you can make it out, the comet would look like a fuzzy green patch, or a puff of green smoke.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get your hopes up, even if you\u2019re packing a telescope: King says spotting the comet tonight will tricky due to the full moon\u2019s glare. But the prospects should improve in just a few days.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome Valentine\u2019s Day, 45P will have motored into northern Bootes and appear in the east around 10 p.m. before<\/em> moonrise,\u201d King writes.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll still probably need a telescope to see it, \u201cbut at least we\u2019ll get to see it in a dark, dark sky until it fades from easy viewing later in the month,\u201d King says.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re successful, now or later, please let us know via GeekWire\u2019s Facebook page. And keep an eye out for pictures on SpaceWeather.com.<\/p>\n