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February’s full moon, known as the snow moon, with its peak on Saturday, is shining around the world in the night sky.
The moon will be full at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, according to EarthSky, but to the human eye, the full moon will be visible for a few days, so the best time to view it is the nights before and after its peak.
Although it’s called the snow moon — a nickname inspired by the heavy snowfall typically seen in parts of the United States, according to the Farmers’ Almanac — the golden orb will look almost exactly like any normal full moon. But this moon will be micron, which means it might look a little smaller than usual.
“It’s just a little further from Earth than (the moon) normally is,” said Rachel Klima, a planetary geologist and lunar expert with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.
“It’s about 10% less. So it could look a little smaller. But often, when people see a very large moon, it’s usually because it’s low on the horizon, rather than because of how far away it is,” said Klima. “(The micron) won’t be super tiny. It will be slightly smaller than your average full moon that you look up at.”
The full moon phase occurs when the moon, Earth and sun are in alignment, in that order. February’s full moon will occur when the moon is at its furthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as the apogee, Klima said. The micromoon will also be about 30% smaller than the moon normally looks, according to EarthSky, allowing slightly better visibility of nearby celestial objects, without the average luminous interference.
This year, the snow moon will be seen shining near Leo’s brightest constellation, Regulus. Near the peak of the moon, on the night of February 23, the star will be visible just below the orb, according to EarthSky.
Obviously, you don’t need any special equipment to enjoy viewing the moon, but binoculars can be a good tool for those who want to see its features and craters clearly, Klima said. Although full moons are best viewed in clear skies, even in slightly cloudy weather the moon will occasionally peek through the clouds, she said.
Lunar exploration
On Thursday, the lunar lander Odysseus successfully made a soft landing near the moon’s south pole, achieving a feat not attempted by any vehicle launched from the United States since the Apollo program ended more than five decades ago shin. Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission also became the first commercial spacecraft to make a soft landing on the moon amid a renewed international dash for the lunar surface.
“The nice thing to dream about when you look up at the moon right now is the renewed amount of activity there is internationally,” Klima said. “We are essentially opening a new era of lunar exploration. … With these different companies starting on the moon, we will be able to learn a lot more and really this whole new world – the economic world and the scientific world – will open up to us.”
More moons this year
Of the 12 full moons in 2024, February’s full moon will be the only micromoon of the year, while the September and October moon events will be considered supermoons, according to EarthSky.
Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term usually refers to a full moon that is closer to Earth than usual and appears larger and brighter in the night sky. Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee — the closest approach to Earth’s orbit.
Here are the remaining full moons of 2024:
Solar and lunar eclipses
Multiple eclipses will occur in 2024, including two types of lunar eclipses and two types of solar eclipses, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The most anticipated of these events is the total solar eclipse on April 8, which will be visible in parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, completely blocking the face of the sun.
Those within the path of totality, or locations where the moon’s shadow will completely cover the sun, will see a total solar eclipse. People outside the path of totality will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse where the moon only covers part of the sun’s face.
A total solar eclipse will not be visible across the contiguous United States again until August 2044.
An annular solar eclipse will occur on October 2 over parts of South America. This type of eclipse is similar to a total solar eclipse, except that the moon is at its furthest point in its orbit from Earth, so it cannot completely block the sun. Instead, total solar eclipses create a “ring of fire” in the sky as sunlight surrounds the shadow of the moon.
Meanwhile, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible to many across Europe, North and East Asia, Australia, Africa, North and South America between March 24 and 25.
A lunar eclipse, which causes the moon to appear dark or dim, occurs when the sun, Earth and moon align so that the moon enters the Earth’s shadow. A penumbral lunar eclipse is subtler and occurs when the moon moves through the Earth’s outer shadow, or penumbra.
A partial lunar eclipse, in which the Earth moves between the sun and the full moon without being perfectly aligned, will be visible across Europe and much of Asia, Africa, North and South America between 17 and 18 September.
Check the Time and Date website to find out when each of these eclipses will be visible.
Meteor showers of 2024
Sky-gazers can look forward to many meteor showers this year, according to the American Meteor Society. Here are the expected dates for peak meteor events this year.
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