by When it rises on February 5, the Full Moon appears smaller than average because it is at one of its most distant points in its elliptical orbit around the Earth.
This positioning makes February’s “Snow Moon” a micro moon, a full moon visible when the moon is at one of the greatest distances from the planet. In astronomical terms, this is called the apogee. After EarthSky Magazine (opens in new tab)the micromoon will be 252,171 miles (405,830 km) from Earth in February, compared to the average distance of 239,000 miles (384,400 km).
Although it’s hard to tell without a direct comparison, the full moon at apogee actually looks smaller than the full moon at perigee, its closest point Earth. (These extra-near moons are colloquially referred to as supermoons.) From our perspective of Earth, the difference in diameter between a micromoon and a supermoon is 30%, according to the University Space Research Association (opens in new tab).
February’s full moon is known in American folklore as the snow moon because snow is often found on the ground across much of North America at this time of year. According to American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (opens in new tab)other Native American names for the February Moon include Hungry Moon (used by some Cherokee bands in North Carolina) and First Flower Moon (used by the Catawba Nation of South Carolina).
The Snow Moon will be at its fullest at 1:28 p.m. EST (1828 GMT) on February 5, rising above the horizon around sunset. According to EarthSky, the moon will sit in the constellation of Leo (the Leo) near the brightest star in this group, Regulus. The moon also seems bright and full on the nights of February 4th and 6th.
While observing the sky, look for a sunrise on the southwestern horizon just after sunset Venus and a drop Jupiter. These two planets will therefore appear closer and closer together as February progresses earth sky (opens in new tab)and will only look a hair’s breadth on March 1, 2023. mercury will also hover over the southeastern horizon for viewers in the northern hemisphere in early February Mars will appear high up near the Hyades and Pleiades star clusters from sunset until the early hours of the morning.
The February New Moon occurs on February 20 at 2:06 am EST (0706 GMT). Since the moon won’t be around to outshine other celestial bodies, this is a good night to pick the planets.
