Kirsty Mckenzie
SKYGAZERS are in for a treat tonight as this year’s Snow Moon is set to blossom over Spain.
The spectacle should be on display shortly before 6pm as the moon rises with clear skies expected.
It will appear full to the casual observer all evening and could stay visible for up to 10 hours.
But it won’t reach peak fullness until late at night when experts predict it will be 99% illuminated.
What is a Snow Moon?
Full moons, like tonight’s Snow Moon, occur when the orb is opposite the sun, and its sunlit side is entirely visible from Earth.
When is the February Snow Moon?
The Snow Moon falls on Wednesday, February 16.
It will reach its peak in Spain at 5.56pm. However, it will be most visible in the early hours of the evening, after it gets dark.
It will be most visible in the early hours of the evening, after it gets dark. Although it will only truly be full for a short amount of time, it will stay visible for around three days. So there will be plenty of opportunities to see it.
Why is it called the Snow Moon?
February tends to be the coldest month in Spain, so it may come as no surprise that this month’s full moon is known as the Snow Moon.
The Snow Moon is the second full moon of the year.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Native Americans named February’s full moon the Snow Moon because February marks a time of frosts and snow.
The term was first used in the 1760s by Captain Jonathan Carver, who wrote that it would be called the Snow Moon because “more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter”.
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