Tonight, the full moon will appear a little smaller in the sky as the smallest full moon of 2024 rises.
February’s full snow moon occurs as the moon approaches the farthest point from Earth in its orbit, known as apogee. This means tonight’s full moon will appear up to 10% smaller in the night sky. It’s not noticeable enough for most people to notice, but experienced moonwatchers may notice a difference.
The Snow Moon will rise in the east at about 6:30 pm local time, just as the sun sets in the west. It appears between the hind legs of the constellation Leo and reaches its highest point in the night sky around midnight. The moon remains visible throughout the night and sets at the next sunrise.
Related: 2024 Full Moon Calendar: When will the next full moon be visible?
The moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle, so from our vantage point on the Earth’s surface, the moon appears to change size in the night sky throughout the month. Instead, it is elliptical, or elliptical, meaning its distance to Earth changes during its journey.
The Moon reaches a distance of about 226,000 miles (363,300 km) from Earth at its closest point (perigee) and about 251,000 miles (405,500 km) from Earth at its farthest point (apogee).
When full moons occur when the moon is at perigee, they appear up to 14% larger in the sky, which is why we call them “supermoons.” Although the size difference is difficult to tell with the naked eye, supermoons are noticeably brighter, sometimes appearing up to 30% brighter in the night sky.
When full moons occur when the moon is at apogee, these moons are sometimes called “micromoons,” although neither micromoon nor supermoon are officially recognized astronomical terms.
This month, the moon will reach its apogee exactly on Sunday (February 25th) at 9:58 a.m. ET (14:58 GMT), according to the Sun. In-the-Sky.org.
February’s full snow moon gets its name from the fact that it occurs in the middle of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, making February often the snowiest month in many parts of North America.
In China, this February’s full moon marks the end of the Spring Festival, a holiday period that begins with the Lunar New Year. In 2024, this full moon will occur during the traditional holiday known as the Lantern Festival, which marks the culmination of Chinese New Year celebrations.
However, other cultures and places have their own names for February’s full moon. The Ojibwe (or Anishinabe) people of what is now southern Canada and the midwestern United States called February’s full moon Mikwa Giigis, or Bear Moon. The Cree people of North America call it the Kisipishim, or Great Moon, and the Cherokee people of what is now the southeastern United States know it as the Bone Moon.
If you want to see the moon up close, our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars are a great place to start.
Whether you want to take photos of the moon yourself or want to try your hand at night sky photography in general, check out our guide on how to photograph the moon and our recommendations for the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you took a great photo of the full moon and would like to share it with someone, space dot comReaders are encouraged to send photos, comments, names and locations to: spacephotos@space.com.
