Handheld binoculars will resolve about a dozen members. At least three of them are 7th magnitude and should be within range for sharp-eyed, naked-eye observers. There is little intervening dust to affect its appearance, so its 100-odd stars shine with uncommon purity. The cluster lies about 2,300 light-years distant and is 240 million years old. Today, the cluster appears to unaided eyes exactly as he described: a circular form with a dim extension to the north. M41 may have been identified by Aristotle, who described a star with a tail in the Dog - not surprising coming from a man who took a shining interest in comets. From a dark site, the cluster shines to the unaided eyes as a misty glow, like a metal tag on the collar of the celestial Dog. Again, it will be difficult for most to tell the difference, but it's still worth seeing.The dazzling 4.5-magnitude open star cluster M41 dangles in Canis Major some 4° south of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. However, with the eclipse coinciding with the supermoon, this one will be slightly closer and slightly larger in the sky. Lunar eclipses typically happen twice per year, give or take one here and there. After more than an hour, the Moon will turn back to normal as it emerges from behind Earth's shadow. On the night of January 31, 2018, the Moon will pass through Earth's shadow, and its color will change from a normal white-blue-tinted color to a coppery red, then dark red, then black. While the name 'Blood Moon' is sometimes applied to full moons in the fall when hunters stalk prey by moonlight, it is often used to describe lunar eclipses, which do cause the Moon to change color and even turn red to black. However, the Blood Moon is a different story. Nothing special is happening to the moon. The distinction is entirely human since a blue moon is just the second full moon in a calendar month. That moment will mark the second full moon in January making it a 'Blue Moon.' Except, the Moon won't actually be blue. Light Your Prayer Candle NowThe next night is the official full moon when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the Earth's sky.
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