3 celestial events: Snow moon, comet and lunar eclipse fall on the same day
Now might be a good time to invest in a telescope because come Friday you’re going to want one.
On February 10, we are not going to be treated to not just one celestial event on the same day but three.
A lunar eclipse, snow moon and New Year comet should all be visible this Friday night into Saturday morning.
But unless you’re clued up on your astronomical happenings, it’s unlikely you’ll be familiar with them all, so here is a brief guide on how to spot them.
Lunar eclipse
Snow moon, comet and lunar eclipse to fall on the same day
The lunar eclipse will take place in the early hours of Saturday morning (Picture: Rana Sajid Hussain/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The rare penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth and moon almost align behind one another.
The earth blocks the sun’s light from reaching the surface of the moon
It will first be visible at 10.30pm on February 10 as a subtle shadow and will be most visible at 12.43am and will end at 2.52pm.
It will be visible from Europe, most of Asia and North America, and Africa.
Snow moon
Snow moon, comet and lunar eclipse to fall on the same day
February’s full moon is known as a snow moon (Picture: Getty Images)
February’s full moon is traditionally known as a Snow Moon because this month usually sees the heaviest snowfall.
You might have also heard it referred to as the Hunger Moon – due to the struggle of some tribes to find food this month.
As it’s the moon it should be very easy to see and you’ll have a decent amount of time to see it too.
The moon rises at 4.44 pm on Friday and then sets at 7.30 am.
New Year comet
Snow moon, comet and lunar eclipse to fall on the same day
The New Year comet returns once every five and a quarter years (Picture: Fritz Helmut Hemmerich)
So we are not that near New Year – or Chinese New Year for that matter – but the New Year comet gets its name as it began its journey across the northern hemisphere at the end of last year.
It will be visible to the naked eye on February 11 so you might have to stay up late to catch it.
First spotted in 1948, it’s a periodic comet and visible from earth every five and a quarter years.
It is likely to appear as a faint object moving across the sky.
Source: http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/06/snow-moon-comet-and-lunar-eclipse-to-fall-on-the-same-day-6429670/
On February 10, we are not going to be treated to not just one celestial event on the same day but three.
A lunar eclipse, snow moon and New Year comet should all be visible this Friday night into Saturday morning.
But unless you’re clued up on your astronomical happenings, it’s unlikely you’ll be familiar with them all, so here is a brief guide on how to spot them.
Lunar eclipse
Snow moon, comet and lunar eclipse to fall on the same day
The lunar eclipse will take place in the early hours of Saturday morning (Picture: Rana Sajid Hussain/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The rare penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth and moon almost align behind one another.
The earth blocks the sun’s light from reaching the surface of the moon
It will first be visible at 10.30pm on February 10 as a subtle shadow and will be most visible at 12.43am and will end at 2.52pm.
It will be visible from Europe, most of Asia and North America, and Africa.
Snow moon
Snow moon, comet and lunar eclipse to fall on the same day
February’s full moon is known as a snow moon (Picture: Getty Images)
February’s full moon is traditionally known as a Snow Moon because this month usually sees the heaviest snowfall.
You might have also heard it referred to as the Hunger Moon – due to the struggle of some tribes to find food this month.
As it’s the moon it should be very easy to see and you’ll have a decent amount of time to see it too.
The moon rises at 4.44 pm on Friday and then sets at 7.30 am.
New Year comet
Snow moon, comet and lunar eclipse to fall on the same day
The New Year comet returns once every five and a quarter years (Picture: Fritz Helmut Hemmerich)
So we are not that near New Year – or Chinese New Year for that matter – but the New Year comet gets its name as it began its journey across the northern hemisphere at the end of last year.
It will be visible to the naked eye on February 11 so you might have to stay up late to catch it.
First spotted in 1948, it’s a periodic comet and visible from earth every five and a quarter years.
It is likely to appear as a faint object moving across the sky.
Source: http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/06/snow-moon-comet-and-lunar-eclipse-to-fall-on-the-same-day-6429670/
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