Sky Watchers Ready For Celestial Trip Treat

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Skywatchers will look to the heavens late Friday night and early Saturday morning for a triple treat.

First up, there will be a full moon. But it's not just any old full moon, it's called the "snow moon."

So what's a "snow moon?" It's the first full moon that occurs in February in North America. Usually, this month is a time for snow and cold air temperatures and this is the reason for the name "snow moon."

But that's not all. Friday's full moon will be part of the second treat - a "penumbral" lunar eclipse.

So what's that you may ask? Go ahead ask. Okay, we'll tell you.

A penumbral lunar eclipse is when the moon will pass through the edge of the Earth's shadow, which is called the penumbra. During this "full snow moon eclipse," the moon will be completely shaded, making the change easier to see. This will happen around 7:43 p.m.

To wrap up the night, or in this case the morning, a comet will go whizzing by.

Comet 45P will make its closest approach to Earth when it's about 7.4 million miles away. The best time to look for the Comet will be at 3 a.m. Saturday morning. Look towards the East where it will be visible in the constellation Hercules. To check it out, binoculars or a telescope will be helpful.