Last Chance to See Comet E3 This Weekend

Posted: February 9, 2023 2:55 pm

Avid stargazers have their calendars marked for Friday night when Comet E3 is set to streak across the night sky just above Mars. The comet will wrap up a week that also saw a rare halo around a full moon. Here is a recap of this week in astronomy and what you need to know if you hope to catch this comet in all of its bright glory this weekend.

Full Snow Moon Features Halo

The last full moon of the meteorological winter came with an interesting surprise this past weekend. Commonly known as the Snow Moon, this moon came along with a unique halo of light encircling it.

This spectacle happens when there is a thin layer of clouds hovering in the upper levels of the atmosphere that contain tiny ice crystals. The ice crystals work to refract the light coming from the moon, producing a halo of light around the bright moon.

While these same halos also often appear around the sun during the daylight hours, it is more difficult to see the rings of light. It is also dangerous to the eye to try to find these halos around the sun, making it more likely to be able to easily spot them when they appear around the moon.

If you missed the Snow Moon, the next full moon will appear on March 7. This moon is most commonly known as the Worm Moon, paying homage to the earthworms that slowly come up from the ground as the temperature begins to warm in the spring. The moon also sometimes goes by the names of the Eagle Moon, the Snow Crust Moon, and the Goose Moon.

How to Find Comet E3

Comet E3 has been stealing all of the headlines in the astronomy world over the last few weeks. The greenish-colored comet made its closest approach to Earth on February 1, delighting night sky watchers. However, it has become more difficult to spot in the following days thanks to the full moon of February putting off enough light to dilute the visibility of the comet. Even those with a telescope had a difficult time finding the comet amidst the moonlight.

However now that the full moon is a thing of the past, the comet will once again take center stage. Friday night will bring a great chance to be able to spot the comet as it appears alongside Mars. While Comet E3 is not as bright as it was toward the end of January and the beginning of February, the ease of spotting Mars in the sky should make it easier for even novice stargazers to locate the comet.

Experts point out that Comet E3 will not appear as a traditional comet. Rather than a long comet with a shadowy tail, Comet E3 will appear as a fuzzy star. Using Mars as a reference point makes it easier to find the dim comet shining in the middle of the other stars that call the galaxy home.

You will find Mars giving off an orange glow just after nightfall in the southern skies. The famous Red Planet will migrate to the western sky as the darkness falls.

Weather Forecast for Peak Viewing of Comet

The biggest influence on whether or not you will be able to find Comet E3 will be the weather on the peak viewing nights of Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately for those hoping to see the comet before it disappears again, at least half of the U.S. is forecast to see cloudy conditions over the weekend.

The best place to find the comet on Friday will be across the central U.S. and throughout portions of the Rocky Mountain region. This includes the cities of Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, and St. Louis. Like with any astronomical event, you will want to get out of the big cities in order to dodge the light pollution that can obstruct the view.

Partly cloudy skies will be the story for the majority of the Pacific Northwest and in the Northeast. You will need a break in the clouds in order to find the comet and Mars.

It will be cloudy throughout much of the West and the Southeast, making it more difficult to see Comet E3 even using Mars as a focal point. Clouds moving into the Desert Southwest during the evening and overnight hours will complicate viewing conditions.

If weather hampers your view on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will bring two additional chances to see the pair after the sun goes down. While Comet E3 will not hover as close to Mars on these nights, it will be close enough to be able to use the planet to orient yourself with the comet. You will find the comet to the left of Mars.

Stargazers will find it more challenging to spot the comet after this weekend. This is because it is going to keep moving farther from the Earth, becoming dimmer as a result. The bottom line is that this weekend is likely your last chance to see this unique celestial object.

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