February 24, 2024
Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
February's full moon is also called a snow moon, named after the winter weather that normally takes place during the month.
This month's full moon might look a little different to celestial enthusiasts as a micromoon hangs over the region this weekend.
February's full moon will appear in the sky Saturday night. A micromoon happens when the moon is at it's furthest point from Earth, about 252,225 miles away. According to Farmer's Almanac, it's only about 10% smaller than the average moon so it may not seem like much of a difference to the naked eye.
The moon will rise in the Philadelphia region at 6:01 p.m. Saturday and set at 7:02 a.m. on Sunday. It will reach it's zenith around midnight, however, it will be at peak brightness around 7:30 p.m., so scientists recommend looking up then.
The moon orbits in an elliptical path, with one side closer to Earth and one side further away. This change in distance can alter the moon's apparent size and brightness, even though it will look largely the same without a telescope or other equipment. A micromoon is about 30% less bright than a typical moon, though it will still look vibrant, according to EarthSky.
“A lot of the time, when people see a really huge moon, it’s usually because it’s low on the horizon, rather than because of the actual distance of it,” Rachel Klima, a lunar expert with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory told CNN. “(The micromoon) won’t be super, super tiny. It’ll just be a little bit smaller than your average full moon that you look up at.”
February's full moon is also referred to as a snow moon, named after the large amounts of snowfall the region typically receives during this month.
