Folks into astronomy and full moons will have a pretty sweet view this weekend when one of the year’s largest moons to ever be recorded will make its grand debut.
Called the “Snow Moon” this February moon is set to hit its peak size and brightness at 2:33 a.m. EST on Sunday, February 9th, 2020, however it’s said to be visible even as early as one day before on the 8th of February.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac says that the highest point of the moon will be at approximately midnight on both nights. According to a report published by Fox News, some experts they spoke with have designated the moon as a “supermoon” but said that designation isn’t true for all celestial experts.
Much of the country has already been blanketed in snow and in some places, the snow is so plentiful that it is shutting cities and towns down by the fistful. But this mega Snow Moon will shine brightly down on all the wintery wonderland with a massive amount of light and it will appear extra large in the night sky.
While many may consider it a “super moon” it technically is not. “Super” moons only occur when the moon is at its closest point to the Earth. This Snow Moon will be farther away than a super moon normally is.
Another website EarthSky says that this moon is to become one of the largest recorded in all of 2020, however, the classification of “super moon” doesn’t fit because it falls outside some of the calculations used to determine moon status.
The 2019 Super Snow Moon was also the largest of that year, so this is definitely going to be one moon to watch.
Check out the video about last year’s moon below and let us know if you’ll be outside this weekend!