This month closes with three major events of interest to folks who keep an eye on the skies.

The N.C. Museum of Natural Science in Raleigh offers its annual “Astronomy Days” this weekend, the winter edition of the local “Market House sunrise” plays out on the 29th and the month closes with an eclipse of the moon.

'Astronomy Days'

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and the Raleigh Astronomy Club will present their annual astronomy days event at the museum on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.  The free event will feature exhibits, observing the sun with special telescopes, weather permitting, and talks by a space shuttle astronaut.

Capt. Lee Morin will present talks on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the museum. Morin walked in space as he made repairs on the International Space Station as a mission specialist in 2002.

Check the museum’s website at naturalsciences.org/ for a detailed schedule of activities.

Sun in the arches

Those of us familiar with the Nov. 11 Market House sunrise in downtown Fayetteville know that the event plays out again 79 days later on Jan. 29.

On those dates, and a morning on either side of those dates, an observer standing in the middle of Hay Street can watch the rising sun appear perfectly centered in the arches of Fayetteville’s landmark Market House.

Sunrise in Fayetteville on Jan. 29 comes at 7:17 a.m., but it takes a few minutes for the sun to appear in the arches after the actual moment of sunrise. Clear skies are needed to see the event, so it’s best to check the forecast before heading downtown with your cameras.

One thing that sunrise veterans are quick to point out: The January sunrise is generally way colder than the November one.

Eclipse of a super blue moon

The last morning of January sees the full moon slip into Earth’s shadow during a total lunar eclipse.

But it’s not just any moon. The full moon on Jan. 31 is dubbed a “super moon” because it turns full near the point when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit. That makes the moon appear a few percent brighter and bigger than a more distant full moon.

Additionally, the full moon on Jan. 31 is considered a “blue moon.” The term has nothing to do with the moon’s color, and in this context it means something rather rare.

The rarity comes because it is the second full moon in the same calendar month.

The moon also was full on Jan. 1, and with a full moon happening every 29-1/2 days, we have a second full moon at month’s end. That timing also means that February with its 28 days has no full moon.

But the eclipse is out of step timing-wise for us in the East.

The time when the moon first enters the umbra, or darker portion of Earth’s shadow, comes at 6:48 a.m. At that time, the moon will be in a brightening twilight sky and will be sinking low in the West.

The start of the more spectacular total eclipse phase when the moon turns a dim reddish color comes at 7:51 a.m.

Unfortunately for us, the moon sets for observers in Fayetteville that morning at 7:15 a.m.

If we want to see even the opening minutes of this eclipse we need to observe it from a location with an unobstructed western horizon because the moon will be so low when it starts.

If you’re in western N.C., say in Asheville, moonset comes at 7:32 a.m. so you’ll gain a few minutes of viewing before moonset. You’ll still miss the total eclipse phase. That view belongs to folks on the West Coast where the moon will still be above the horizon during the total eclipse.

We will have to settle for a sinking full moon with a small “bite” of shadow at its upper left edge and the moon sinks in the west.

Those of us in the East will have to wait a year before we see a total lunar eclipse start to finish. On Jan. 21, 2019, the full moon will again pass fully within Earth’s shadow.  On that date, we get a total eclipse of the moon high overhead in the middle of the night.

If you have a question about astronomy, send it to Backyard Universe, P.O. Box 297, Stedman, NC 28391 or email jhorne@fayobserver.com.