February's Full Moon, known as the Snow Moon, will reach its glorious peak this Saturday as the brightest star in the night sky. The Full Moon will reach its fullest state at 7:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Saturday, but in reality, to our naked eye, the full moon will last for several days, according to Earthsky. Therefore, the best time to see it will be in the evenings around Saturday.
Despite being called the Snow Moon, a beautiful name derived from the white snow that is common in February in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, however, the Farmer's Almanac notes that this Full Moon, despite its name, is not much different in appearance from our common Full Moons. However, this time the Moon may be slightly miniaturized, meaning it may be slightly smaller than usual.
According to Rachel Klima, a planetary geologist and moon expert at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, "The Moon is slightly farther away from Earth this time, about 10% farther than average." As a result, it may look slightly smaller. "But a lot of times, when people see a very large moon, it's because it's near the horizon, not because it's actually close." This miniature moon won't be very noticeable, it's just a little smaller than the normal Full Moon we usually look up to. ”
In this way, the snow moon in February may be called miniature, but its beauty and charm are not diminished in the slightest. Let's look up at the bright moon on Saturday night and feel its endless poetry and romance.
When the Moon, Earth, and Sun line up, we have the full moon phase. At this particular moment, the Moon is located at the farthest point of its elliptical orbit, the so-called apogee. At this point, the Moon appears about 30% dimmer than usual, making other celestial bodies more visible. This year's Snow Moon is in harmony with Leo's brightest star, Ruiyao, and as the Full Moon approaches, the bright star will snuggle up to the Moon.
You don't need any professional equipment to see this fantastic view, but if you want to explore the details of the moon and the traces of meteorites more clearly, a telescope will be invaluable. Of course, the best conditions for observation are clear skies, but even on days with slightly more clouds, the moon occasionally peeks its head out of the clouds to surprise people.
More Full Moons today.
March 25: Worm Month.
April 23: Pink Moon.
May 23: Flower Moon.
June 21: Strawberry Moon.
July 21: Bucks Month.
August 19: Sturgeon Month.
September 17: Harvest Month.
October 17: Orion Month.
November 15: Beaver Moon.
December 15: Cold Moon.