Topline
This month’s full moon, called the “Snow Moon,” is set to emerge Saturday, and because it will be the farthest distance away from Earth, it will be the smallest full moon of the year.
The full super snow moon Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020.
Key Facts
February's full moon will be visible Saturday and become the fullest at around 7:30 a.m. EST, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory.
The best way to observe it will be before sunrise Saturday morning, or looking east during moonrise at around 5:55 p.m. EST on Saturday, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Since the Snow Moon will occur a day before the Moon reaches apogee—the position in the moon's orbit where it is farthest from Earth—it’s considered a micromoon (or minimoon), which means it will be the smallest full moon of the year.
It’s called the Snow Moon because there's typically heavy snow during February, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac; the National Weather Service considers February one of the snowiest months of the year.
Because multiple Native American tribes have their own names for the full moons, it goes by different names, including the Groundhog Moon, the Goose Moon, the Bear Moon, the Black Bear Moon, the Eagle Moon, the Bald Eagle Moon and the Raccoon Moon.
This will be the last full moon of the 2024 winter season as March’s full moon is set to happen on March 25, six days after the start of spring.
Key Background
There’s a full moon every month because the Moon’s cycle lasts for 29.5 days. However, they don’t always fall on the same day, according to NASA. The moon goes through eight phases during its 29.5 day cycle: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent. When the moon enters the full moon phase, it appears as a perfect circle in the sky because the entire side of the moon that’s facing the Earth is lit up by the Sun’s rays.
Tangent
Micromoons are the farthest full moons from Earth, with the center of the moon a typical distance of about 252,000 miles (407,000 kilometers) from Earth’s core, according to Rice University. The opposite of micromoons are supermoons, which appear as the largest full moons. These happen when the moon’s orbit is the closest to Earth (or in perigee) during a full moon. Supermoons are usually about 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) from Earth. Micromoons are around 14% smaller than supermoons and about 30% less brighter.
Further Reading
Snow Moon: Full Moon in February 2024 (Old Farmer’s Almanac)
