Snow Moon in February 2023: What's special about it
The next full moon will occur on February 5 and it has an interesting name: Snow Moon. The full moon will appear near Regulus, which is the brightest star in the constellation Leo, which is among the brightest in the entire sky, according to earthsky.org. What's unique about the February full moon and how did it get its name? Let us find out.
Why does this story matter?
A full moon is one of eight lunar phases, in which the entirety of the Moon's surface is visible from Earth. Full moons each month have a popular nickname given by different cultures across the globe, and so does the one in February. The full moon in January was called Wolf Moon and the one in March is known as the Worm Moon.
Where did the name Snow Moon come from?
The full moon in February was first referred to as the Snow Moon or the Hunger Moon by the Native American tribes, in what is now the northern and eastern US. The Snow Moon is so-called because of the heavy snowfall experienced during this season. Moreover, the bad weather made it difficult for hunting, giving rise to the name Hunger Moon.
February's full moon is a micro moon
The upcoming full moon is what's called a micro moon because the Moon will lie in the far part of its orbit. The micro moon that we will see in February is the second of two micro moons in 2023. We saw one micro moon in January and the one next month will be the last micro moon we see for this year.
The upcoming full moon will be 2023's farthest micro moon
Also, the February full moon will be the farthest micro moon of 2023. The Moon will be at a distance will be roughly 405,830km. For reference, the average distance between Earth and the Moon is 382,500km. Does a micro moon look smaller than an ordinary full moon? Well, yes, at least in photographs. Some experienced observers can detect the difference between both.
The February full moon usually falls in the constellation Leo
Most years, the February full moon lies in the constellation Leo but it can also lie in the constellation Cancer as it will in 2026. Sometimes, although it is rare, full moons might not occur in February and this is said to happen in 2037.
