Looking to the night sky between Monday and Tuesday, stargazers will be able to see the full moon. What makes February’s full moon so special is that it is a “micromoon.”
What is a micromoon?
When the full moon rises in February it will be at apogee, or the farthest point in its orbit around the Earth. This will make the moon appear smaller than usual, hence the name “micromoon.” According to science news site EarthSky, the moon will be 252,171 miles away, whereas the average distance is 237,700 miles between the Earth and the moon. The distance will make the moon appear smaller, per Space.com — up to 14% smaller than a supermoon. January’s moon was also a “micromoon.”
When can I see a micromoon?
The moon achieved peak illumination at 11:29 a.m. MST on Sunday, but will still be visible in full until early Tuesday morning, according to CNN.
The micromoon will not shine as brightly as a supermoon, but that does not mean it will be dim. Save for any clouds, the moon will be as visible as any full moon, with its brightness helped by the amount of snow on the ground, per EarthSky.
Native American names for the moon
According to Old Farmer’s Almanac, February’s moon is known as the “snow moon,” because more snow falls in February than any other time of the year. The Cree called February’s moon the bald eagle moon or eagle moon. The Cherokee named the month the hungry moon, providing evidence of the scarcity of food at this time. The Ojiwbe knew it as the bear moon, referencing the time of year when bear cubs are born, the Dakota referred to it both as the snow moon and raccoon moon, and certain Algonquin tribes called it the groundhog moon.
Here is a list of the rest of the moons for the year, per Old Farmer’s Almanac.
March 7: Worm moon.
April 6: Pink moon.
May 5: Flower moon.
June 3: Strawberry moon.
July 3: Buck moon.
Aug. 1: Sturgeon moon.
Aug. 30: Blue moon.
Sept. 29: Harvest moon.
Oct. 28: Hunter’s moon.
Nov. 27: Beaver moon.
Dec. 26: Cold moon.