Full Moon, Eclipise, Comet: How To See All Three In Western Washington On Friday

ENUMCLAW, WA - There will be an astronomical feast in the skies over Western Washington Friday night with an eclipse, full moon, and comet fly-by set to light up the sky.

The eclipse will happen first, at around 4:45 p.m. The type of eclipse scheduled to happen Friday is called a penumbra eclipse - that's when the moon moves across the Earth's shadow. It's harder to see than a solar eclipse for example, but the moon will appear darker than usual.

A full moon will also appear on Friday night. A full moon in February is known as a "snow moon" in the Farmer's Almanac, likely because it's a typically snowy month.

Finally, Comet 45P will make its closest pass of Earth on Friday. The comet will be visible around midnight in Western Washington. You can see it with the naked eye, but a telescope would obviously improve the view. The comet will appear in the constellation Hercules.

But, none of this matters if there are clouds blocking the view. So what's the forecast for Friday night?

Mostly cloudy, 43 degrees, and a slight chance of rain. By midnight - the time that Comet 45P rolls through - it'll only be "partly cloudy."

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