A full moon, lunar eclipse and comet all in one evening? It happens tonight.

It looks like we are in for some interesting phenomena with tonight's full moon.
There is going to be a lunar eclipse and the chance to see a pale green comet.
It looks like the eclipse will be around 6:14 on the east coast of the states.
Wishing you all clear sky's and a chance to see this.

Turn this evening into a cosmic experience — a full moon, lunar eclipse and the chance to see a pale green comet as it streaks by Earth. Oh, and beg for clear skies. This month’s so-called “Snow Moon” will pass through Earth’s outer shadow just after sunset, turning its face varying shades of grey. Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth is optimally placed between the sun and the moon. With an added dose of serendipity, we’re on our planet’s primo dark side with front-row seats. On the East Coast, the full moon climbs above the horizon around 5:30 p.m., just as it enters Earth’s penumbral (outer) shadow and — ever so slowly — the lunar disk will start to dim and turn gray. Late afternoon twilight gives way to the evening dark skies. For practical purposes, the Eastern time zone will likely perceive the gray shading around 6:14 p.m., according to Alan MacRobert and Kelly Beatty, senior editors at Sky & Telescope magazine.

The Washington Post

a reply to: SolAquarius

Yes, i'm hoping it's clear out so i can use my telescope.

I gotta stake out a place where I can see the eclipse looks like it might be around sunset in a couple of hours.
As to the comet I don't know if I will see it with the binoculars I have.

a reply to: SolAquarius


Did you see it?

a reply to: Mousygretchen

I'm attempting to record it but there is so much haze in the way all I can see is the light of the Moon behind clouds.

So much publicity for a penumbral lunar eclipse

Penumbral eclipses don't look that special. It's just a little bit of darkening over one side of the Moon, hardly noticeable.

Lunar eclipses always happen during a full moon, nothing special there either.

Sorry to poop on your party, I guess I'm peeved that here in the UK it's just clouds and fog and rain and snow.

originally posted by: wildespace
Sorry to poop on your party...

More poop: For the best comet-viewing, you need a nice, dark sky - which is exactly what you don't have when there's a full moon.

I saw the Moon last night as I was driving home. Perfect picture op, but I didn't have my camera with me.

I could see the eclipse quite clearly. It gave the illusion that the Moon wasn't quite full is all this one did.

What would have made a gorgeous pic is the Moon was quite low on the horizon, with a deep indigo sky, and some whispy clouds lit up by it.

I was pounding my head on the steering wheel because I didn't have my camera with me, hehehehe.

had a crystal clear sky. watched for both. didn't catch either. just a very bright full moon. must have been quick..

originally posted by: Corruptedstructure
had a crystal clear sky. watched for both. didn't catch either. just a very bright full moon. must have been quick..

It was slow, but really really subtle. Hence my disbelief at how much publicity this got. Do yourself a favour and stick to total lunar eclipses.

a reply to: Corruptedstructure

It was all about the timing! The eclipse started just after sunset. The comet was supposed to arrive just before sun rise. A big spread that most would not do.

Had snow and cloud cover so missed everything!

Yeah it was a bit of a no show. I parked and was facing mountains where the Moon was rising and tried recording it but there was all this cloudy haze for the most part. All I saw was a glow behind the haze and the Moon peaking through when it hit a clearer patch.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Comets don't "arrive". They gradually appear and hang around the sky over many weeks and months.

Next Christmas present santa please

The comet put on a decent show, but you needed optical aid to see it.

a reply to: wildespace

We had breaks in our clouds but the eclipse was on a side we could barely see from my location, and I couldn't see the comet either. UGH.