Full Snow Moon will light up skies around the world tonight – this is the best time to see the astronomical display
Although no snow is forecast for tonight, there is still a winter treat in the air.
Tonight, a Full Snow Moon will light up the skies around the world.
As it is the last full moon of winter, this is a great opportunity to stargaze early in the evening before the nights get shorter again.
In fact, because the moon will be bright and full, you won’t need any special equipment or even leave the city to see it.
So if you want to see this stunning astronomical phenomenon, this is the best way to capture it.
The Snow Moon is the last full moon of winter, seen here last year over the Thames at Gravesend
A full moon occurs once every 28 days when the moon, Earth and sun are in syzygy, meaning they are all aligned.
The moon isn’t technically full until it’s 100 percent illuminated, but because it’s constantly moving around the Earth, this only takes an instant.
More generally, we refer to the full moon as any time our lunar satellite appears fully illuminated to an observer on Earth.
Dr. Affelia Wibisono, astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, told MailOnline: ‘In 2024, the moon’s zenith will occur at 12.30pm on the 24th.
‘The moon will not be visible from Britain at this time, but it will appear full on the nights before and after.’
Dr. Wibisono adds, “The moon rises at 4:15 PM on the 23rd and sets at 7:21 AM the next morning. On the 24th, the moon rises at 5:27 PM and the moon sets at 7:32 AM on the 25th.”
Since the moon is so bright, it should be extremely easy to see wherever you are.
‘There is no specific location where you should observe this event. Because it is a bright full moon here, as long as the night is clear of clouds, you can easily tell whether you are in a light-polluted city or a dark part of the countryside,” Dr Wibisono adds.
We see the moon as fully illuminated when it, the Earth, and the sun are all in syzygy, meaning they are aligned. Although this technically only happens for a moment, the moon still appears full for a day either side of this point
To get the best view of this beautiful lunar event, it is best to try to see the moon shortly before the moon rises or sets.
When the moon is low on the horizon, it appears larger due to something called the ‘Moon Illusion’.
Scientists don’t know exactly what causes this phenomenon, but it makes the moon appear larger when it’s just above the horizon.
Your vision won’t actually be better, but your brain will tell you that it is.
It is often assumed that the names of the full moons come from traditional Native American naming schemes.
It is suggested that the full moons were given names throughout the year as a way to keep track of time and monitor the progress of farming and hunting schedules.
Pictured here in Italy, in L’Aquila National Park, the Snow Moon takes its name from the abundance of snow in the Northern Hemisphere that usually accompanies its arrival
For example, it is believed that the August sturgeon moon gets its name from the abundance of sturgeon available for fishing during the month.
These practices were then popularized when the names for the full moons were published in the Farmer’s Almanac.
The Snow Moon, as the name suggests, is mainly associated with winter and colder weather.
Dr. Wibisono says: ‘The Snow Moon is a name given to the Full Moon that occurs in February.
‘This Full Moon is so named because of the abundant amount of snow on the ground in the Northern Hemisphere. It is also known as the Hunger Moon, Storm Moon and Bear Moon.’
Since the weather forecast is dry and fairly cloudy, the Snow Moon won’t quite live up to its name. The temperature should be between 6 and 8°C, so make sure you dress appropriately
Fortunately for any budding astronomers planning to see the moon tonight, Britain has avoided the traditional lunar snowfall.
At moonrise the temperature should not be too cold and will be between 6°C and 8°C.
North Wales and northern England are likely to be hit by quite heavy rainfall during this period, but much of the south will remain dry.
However, cloud cover could be a problem as much of Britain will be covered throughout the evening.
But with a few breaks in coverage during the night and a bright moon, you can still get a great view of this spectacular sight.
If you plan to view the Snow Moon, make sure you dress appropriately and check the weather for your region.
Make sure you give your eyes enough time to adjust to the darkness by avoiding artificial light, including your phone.
No special equipment is needed, but binoculars can be useful to make out some details on the moon’s surface.
The phases of the moon
Like the Earth, the moon has a day side and a night side, which change as the moon rotates.
The sun always illuminates half of the moon while the other half remains dark, but how much of that illuminated half we can see changes as the moon travels through its orbit.
In the Northern Hemisphere the phases of the moon are:
1. New moon
This is the invisible phase of the moon, where the illuminated side of the moon faces the sun and the night side faces Earth.
2. Waxing Crescent
This silver patch of moon is created when the illuminated half of the moon is largely pointed away from Earth, while only a small portion is visible to us from our planet.
3. First quarter
The moon has now completed a quarter of its monthly journey and you are seeing half of its illuminated side.
4. Waxing Gibbous
Now most of the Moon’s dayside has come into view and the Moon is brighter in the sky.
5. Full moon
This is as close as we can get to the sun illuminating the entire dayside of the moon.
6. Declining gibbous
As the moon begins its journey back to the sun, the far side of the moon now reflects the moon’s light.
7. Last quarter
The moon looks like it’s half-lit from Earth’s perspective, but in reality you’re seeing half of the half of the moon illuminated by the sun – or a quarter.
8. Waning crescent moon
The Moon is almost back to the point in its orbit where the dayside faces directly toward the Sun, and all we see from our perspective is a thin curve.