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Tag: sky watching

  • The Good—and Bad—News About Next Week’s Total Lunar Eclipse

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    On March 3, skywatchers in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and eastern Asia will be treated to a special total lunar eclipse when the full Moon will don a spooky reddish hue.

    Next week, the Moon will enter behind Earth’s shadow and become illuminated by the Sun’s light as it passes through the planet’s atmosphere. The filtered sunlight will cast a warm glow on the Moon’s disk, giving it a temporary deep orange to red color.

    Where can I watch the total lunar eclipse

    The full blood Moon will be visible in North America and is the last one we’ll see for nearly three years until December 2028. While totality will be visible in the evening for viewers in eastern Asia and Australia and throughout the night in the Pacific, it will occur in the early morning hours in North and Central America and far western South America, according to NASA.

    The Moon will begin to enter Earth’s shadow at 3:44 a.m. ET, and the partial eclipse will occur at 4:50 a.m. ET. During the partial eclipse, it will appear as though a piece of the Moon has been bitten off as one side of the lunar disk appears very dark.

    Totality, when the entire Moon is in the Earth’s umbra, begins at 6:04 a.m. ET and lasts for around an hour. That’s when the Moon turns a bloody, copper red.

    Visibility map of the March 3 total lunar eclipse. Credit: NASA

    For skywatchers in eastern North America, the blood Moon may not appear as dramatic as it will along the west coast or in other parts of the world. That’s because totality will occur around the same time as sunrise, and the skies won’t be dark enough to view the blood Moon in all its glory. The blood Moon will sink in the west right before dawn. This presents yet another challenge for skywatchers in the Eastern Time Zone, as the Moon will set before the eclipse reaches its maximum.

    A partial lunar eclipse will also appear in Central Asia and parts of South America.

    How to view the total lunar eclipse

    Despite these challenges, you can still try to catch a glimpse of the blood Moon. A total lunar eclipse doesn’t require any special equipment—you can see it with the naked eye. For the best view, head somewhere dark and give your eyes time to adjust to the night sky.

    At the time of the eclipse, the Moon will be in the constellation Leo. As the Moon’s light is dimmed by Earth’s shadow, it’s also an opportune time to view other celestial objects in the sky, as constellations appear brighter when they’re not competing with the natural satellite.

    The next total lunar eclipse will take place on New Year’s Eve in 2028. It will be the first in a series of three lunar eclipses in a row, with the following one on June 26, 2029, and the next on December 20, 2029.

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    Passant Rabie

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  • Two Newly Discovered Comets Will Streak Across the Skies This Month. Here’s How to See Them

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    Skywatchers, rejoice. This month, not one but two comets are set to soar into our night skies for your viewing pleasure.

    The two comets, C/2025 R2 (SWAN) and C/2025 A6 (Lemmon), were both discovered in 2025. The celestial visitors are gearing up for a close flyby of Earth in October, becoming more visible as they approach our planet. SWAN will be closest to Earth on October 19, while Lemmon is set for its own close approach on October 21. Both icy comets may even be visible to the naked eye around that time.

    Cosmic pair

    Astronomers spotted Lemmon in January using the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter observatory in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains. The comet was speeding toward the inner solar system at speeds up to 130,000 miles per hour (209,000 kilometers per hour).

    Later in September, amateur astronomer Vladimir Bezugly discovered comet SWAN in images from the SWAN instrument on NASA’s SOHO satellite. The comet became significantly brighter as it emerged from the Sun’s direction.

    At its closest approach, SWAN will be at a distance of approximately 24 million miles (39 million kilometers) from our planet, or about a quarter of the distance between the Sun and Earth. SWAN is now at a brightness magnitude of around 5.9, according to EarthSky. The unexpectedly bright comet is currently in the southern skies, but it is slowly moving north, according to NASA.

    Following SWAN’s closest approach, comet Lemmon will be right behind. The comet will be about half the distance between the Sun and Earth before rounding the Sun on November 8. From there, it will begin its next journey around the star. Lemmon will continue to brighten as it approaches the Sun, but it will likely stay visible, and possibly become even brighter, around October 31 to November 1, according to EarthSky.

    How to see SWAN and Lemmon

    SWAN is best viewed in the Southern Hemisphere. The comet crossed into the Libra constellation on September 28, and will make its way across Scorpius on October 10. Around October 9-10, it will appear near Beta Librae, the brightest star in the Libra constellation, EarthSky reports.

    It may, however, be a bit tricky to spot because its position in the skies will be close to the setting Sun. Sky watchers hoping to catch a glimpse of SWAN need up toward the west after sunset.

    Conditions are more favorable for Lemmon. The comet is best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere, where it will be positioned near the Big Dipper for most of October. Sky watchers should look to the eastern skies just before sunrise to spot the comet.

    By mid-October, the comet may be easier to view. On October 16, Lemmon will pass near Cor Caroli, a binary star system in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici, according to EarthSky. Around that time, the comet could be visible to the naked eye.

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    Passant Rabie

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