A Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse and Comet all in one night-tonight

 

FULL MOON, ECLIPSE, AND COMET ON FRIDAY

 

FROM THE FARMERS ALMANAC 

FULL SNOW MOON

February’s full Moon is traditionally called the Full Snow Moon because usually the heaviest snows fall in February. 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. On average, February is the USA’s snowiest month, according to data from the National Weather Service.

Hunting becomes very difficult, and so some Native American tribes called this the Hunger Moon. Other Native American tribes called this Moon the “Shoulder to Shoulder Around the Fire Moon” (Wishram Native Americans), the “No Snow in the Trails Moon” (Zuni Native Americans), and the “Bone Moon” (Cherokee Native Americans). The Bone Moon meant that there was so little food that people gnawed on bones and ate bone marrow soup.

See more about  Full Moon names and their meanings.

PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

This year, there will also be a penumbral eclipse of the Moon. It begins at 5:34 p.m. on February 10 with best viewing at 7:44 p.m. This is a very subtle kind of eclipsewhich may appear like a darker-than-usual Moon. It’s easiest to view from the eastern portions of North America, as it will be too light in the western time zones. 

CLOSEST COMET IN 30 YEARS

A few hours after the eclipse, Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková will make its closest approach. This flyby marks the closest a comet has comet to the Earth since 1983. Look to the east around 3 A.M. Saturday morning. The comet will have a bright blue-green “head” with a tail. Binoculars are recommended.