The Moon Will Dim and Comet Passing on Early Saturday

Benedicta Avena
Writing A
February 10th, 2017

          Two interesting sky phenomena are going to happen near dawn on Saturday (11/2/2017). Both of them can be seen if the weather supports. The first phenomenon is penumbral lunar eclipse. This is when the sun, earth, and moon are located in one line but the moon is in the penumbral shadow of the earth. Eventhough it can be seen directly with human eyes, this eclipse is difficult to realise. The colour of the moon won't be blood-red, but it will only slightly dimmed. The other phenomenon that also can be seen is the passage of comet 45P/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková. This comet has to be seen by binoculars or telescopes because of the dimmed sightings. This comet actually already can be seen since December 2016, but the best time to see it is in February 2017. The location for the observation is very important if the people want to hunt for comets. Airy place and minimal light pollution are the first choices. The darker the place is, the bigger the chances are to see the comet.