February’s full moon, known as the snow moon, is set to peak on Saturday, shining bright around the world in the night sky.
The moon will be at its most full at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday, according to EarthSky, but to the human eye, the moon will appear full for a couple of days, so the best time to view it will be the nights before and after its peak.
While called the snow moon — a nickname inspired by the heavy snowfall typically seen in February in parts of the United States, according to the Farmers’ Almanac — the golden orb will look almost like any ordinary full moon. But this moon will be a micromoon, meaning it might look slightly smaller than usual.
The full moon phase occurs when the moon, Earth and the sun are in alignment, in that order. February’s full moon will occur when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as the apogee, Klima said. The micromoon will also be dimmer than the moon typically looks by about 30%, according to EarthSky, allowing for slightly better visibility of nearby celestial objects, without the average luminous interference.
Native American tribes in the northeastern United States call February's full moon the "Snow Moon" because of the heavy snowfall this time of year, according to the Maine Farmer's Almanac.
Tribes across the United States have their own names for February's full moon, according to the Western Washington University Planetarium. The Arapaho in the Great Plains have the closest name to Snow Moon, which is "frost sparkling in the sun."
Other tribes have names that are the opposite, like the Zuni Tribe in New Mexico who call it "onon u'la'ukwamme," which means "no snow in trails."
Some tribes named this full moon after animals. The Tlingit Tribe in the Pacific Northwest call it "s'eek dis" or "black bear moon." The Haida Tribe in Alaska call it "hlgit'un kungáay" or "goose moon."
February's full moon is also known as the "Full Hunger Moon" because food was scarce and hunting was difficult for ancient tribes during this month.
February Moon names from different cultures Ice (Celtic). Old Moon (Cree). Gray Moon (Pima). Wind Moon (Creek). Winter Moon (Taos). Nuts Moon (Natchez). Avunnivik Moon (Inuit). Geese Moon (Omaha). Bony Moon (Cherokee). Purification Moon (Hopi). Little bud Moon (Kiowa). Snow Moon (Neo-Pagan). Lateness Moon (Mohawk). Shoulder Moon (Wishram). Rabbit Moon (Potawatomi). Sucker Moon (Anishnaabe). Long Dry Moon (Assiniboine). Little Famine Moon (Choctaw). Storm Moon (Medieval English). Sparkling Frost Moon (Arapaho). Running Fish Moon (Winnebago). Coyote Frighten Moon (San Juan). Spruce Tips Moon (Passamaquoddy). Raccoon Moon, Trees Pop Moon (Sioux). Hunger Moon : Dark, Storm Moon : Full (Janic). Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Trappers Moon (Algonquin).
Other moon names: Wolf Moon, Wild Moon, Quickening Moon, Solmonath Moon, Chaste Moon, Horning Moon, Red Moon, Big Winter Moon, Cleansing Moon.
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The moon will be at its most full at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday, according to EarthSky, but to the human eye, the moon will appear full for a couple of days, so the best time to view it will be the nights before and after its peak.
While called the snow moon — a nickname inspired by the heavy snowfall typically seen in February in parts of the United States, according to the Farmers’ Almanac — the golden orb will look almost like any ordinary full moon. But this moon will be a micromoon, meaning it might look slightly smaller than usual.
The full moon phase occurs when the moon, Earth and the sun are in alignment, in that order. February’s full moon will occur when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as the apogee, Klima said. The micromoon will also be dimmer than the moon typically looks by about 30%, according to EarthSky, allowing for slightly better visibility of nearby celestial objects, without the average luminous interference.
Native American tribes in the northeastern United States call February's full moon the "Snow Moon" because of the heavy snowfall this time of year, according to the Maine Farmer's Almanac.
Tribes across the United States have their own names for February's full moon, according to the Western Washington University Planetarium. The Arapaho in the Great Plains have the closest name to Snow Moon, which is "frost sparkling in the sun."
Some tribes named this full moon after animals. The Tlingit Tribe in the Pacific Northwest call it "s'eek dis" or "black bear moon." The Haida Tribe in Alaska call it "hlgit'un kungáay" or "goose moon."
February's full moon is also known as the "Full Hunger Moon" because food was scarce and hunting was difficult for ancient tribes during this month.
February Moon names from different cultures Ice (Celtic). Old Moon (Cree). Gray Moon (Pima). Wind Moon (Creek). Winter Moon (Taos). Nuts Moon (Natchez). Avunnivik Moon (Inuit). Geese Moon (Omaha). Bony Moon (Cherokee). Purification Moon (Hopi). Little bud Moon (Kiowa). Snow Moon (Neo-Pagan). Lateness Moon (Mohawk). Shoulder Moon (Wishram). Rabbit Moon (Potawatomi). Sucker Moon (Anishnaabe). Long Dry Moon (Assiniboine). Little Famine Moon (Choctaw). Storm Moon (Medieval English). Sparkling Frost Moon (Arapaho). Running Fish Moon (Winnebago). Coyote Frighten Moon (San Juan). Spruce Tips Moon (Passamaquoddy). Raccoon Moon, Trees Pop Moon (Sioux). Hunger Moon : Dark, Storm Moon : Full (Janic). Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Trappers Moon (Algonquin).
Other moon names: Wolf Moon, Wild Moon, Quickening Moon, Solmonath Moon, Chaste Moon, Horning Moon, Red Moon, Big Winter Moon, Cleansing Moon.
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