Let’s hope for clear skies!
February’s full moon, known to some as the ‘Snow Moon’ is expected to peak in the early morning hours on Saturday, February 24th.
So you don’t miss out on any of the action, be sure to observe the moon both Friday night and Saturday night to get the most out of the view!
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, February’s full moon is also a ‘Micromoon’ this year—sitting at around 252,225 miles from Earth.
As you probably guessed, a Micromoon is the opposite of a Supermoon and is at its furthest point from earth. The astronomical term for this is ‘apogee.’
The name ‘Snow Moon’ may be obvious to you as well—as it stems from the high amounts of snow that northern areas generally get around this time of year.
Besides the Snow Moon, Farmer’s Almanac listed other given names that connect the moon with different animals too.
For example, the Cree traditionally called this the Bald Eagle Moon or Eagle Moon. The Ojibwe Bear Moon and Tlingit Black Bear Moon are referencing the time of year that bear cubs are born.
The Dakota also call this the Raccoon Moon, certain Algonquin peoples named it the Groundhog Moon, and the Haida named it Goose Moon.
NASA adds that in the Chinese calendar, this moon comes in the middle of the first month of the year of the Dragon, and corresponds with the Lantern Festival—which marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
And that’s not all, February has also been connected to a time of food scarcity and the full moon was named to depict as such—being called the Bony Moon Kagali and Hungry Moon by the Cherokee peoples.
Many different names and all the more reason to give it a peek! View the moon from different places in and around Victoria such as Cattle Point, Dallas Road, Island View Beach, and PKOLS (Mount Doug).
In the past, Victoria Buzz has compiled lists of different places for the best view of the moon, and you can view those here!
Bundle up, pour yourself a hot drink, and bring your camera too!
