While there is no snow in the forecast tonight, there will still be a wintry gift in the skies.
Tonight, a full snow moon will light up skies around the world.
As the last full moon of winter, this will be a great opportunity for early evening stargazing before the nights become shorter.
Even better, since the moon will be bright and full, you won’t need any special equipment or even go out of town to see it.
So if you want to see this impressive astronomical phenomenon, this is the best way to capture it.
The Snow Moon is the last full moon of winter, seen here rising over the Thames near Gravesend last year.
A full moon occurs once every 28 days when the moon, Earth, and sun are in syzygy, meaning they are all aligned.
The moon is only technically full when it is 100 percent illuminated, but because it is constantly moving around the Earth, this only lasts for an instant.
More generally, we refer to a full moon as any time when our lunar satellite appears to be completely illuminated to an observer on Earth.
Dr Affelia Wibisono, an astronomer at Royal Greenwich Observatory, told MailOnline: “In 2024, the moon’s peak time will occur at 12:30 on the 24th.
“The Moon will not be visible from the UK at this time, but will appear full on the nights before and after.”
Dr. Wibisono adds: «The moon will rise at 16:15 on the 23rd and set at 07:21 the next morning. On the 24th, the Moon rises at 17:27 and the Moon sets at 07:32 on the 25th.’
Since the moon is so bright, it should be extremely easy to see wherever you are.
“You don’t need to be anywhere in particular to observe this event; as there is a bright full moon, as long as the night is cloud-free, it will be easy to detect whether you are in a city with light pollution or a dark rural area,” adds the Dr. Wibisono.
We see the Moon fully illuminated when it, the Earth, and the Sun are all in syzygy, meaning they are aligned. While this technically only happens for a moment, the moon still appears full one day on either side of this point.
If you want to get the best views of this lovely lunar event, it’s best to try to see the moon shortly before it rises or sets.
When the moon is low on the horizon, it appears larger due to something called the “moon illusion.”
Scientists aren’t quite sure what causes this phenomenon, but it makes the moon appear larger when it is just above the horizon.
Your eyesight won’t really improve, but your brain will tell you that it will.
The names of full moons are often believed to come from traditional Native American naming schemes.
It is suggested that full moons throughout the year were given names as a way of keeping track of time and tracking the progression of farming and hunting schedules.
Photographed here in Italy in L’Aquila National Park, the Snow Moon gets its name from the abundance of snow in the northern hemisphere that usually accompanies its arrival.
For example, the August sturgeon moon is believed to get its name from the abundance of sturgeon available for fishing during the month.
These practices became popular when the names of the full moons were published in the Farmer’s Almanac.
The Snow Moon, as its name suggests, is particularly associated with winter and colder weather.
Dr Wibisono says: ‘The Snow Moon is the name given to the Full Moon that occurs in February.
‘This Full Moon is so called 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 will be dry and quite cloudy, the Snow Moon will not live up to its name. Temperatures should be kept between 6 and 8°C, so be sure to dress appropriately.
Fortunately for any budding astronomers planning to view the moon tonight, the UK has avoided the traditional lunar snowfall.
When the moon rises, temperatures should not be too cold and will range between 6°C and 8°C.
North Wales and northern England are likely to be hit by fairly heavy rain during this time, but much of the south will remain dry.
However, cloud cover may be a problem as much of the UK will be covered throughout the night.
But with a few breaks on the deck overnight and a bright moon, you can still get a great view of this spectacular sight.
If you plan to view the snow moon, be sure to dress appropriately and check the weather in your area.
Make sure you give your eyes enough time to adjust to the darkness by avoiding artificial lights, including your phone.
No special equipment is needed, but a pair of binoculars can be helpful in making out some of the details on the lunar 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 moves through its orbit.
In the northern hemisphere the phases of the moon are:
1. New Moon
This is the invisible phase of the Moon, with the illuminated side of the Moon facing the Sun and the night side facing the Earth.
2. Crescent crescent
This silver sliver of Moon occurs when the illuminated half of the Moon faces mostly away from Earth, with only a small portion visible to us from our planet.
3. First Quarter
The Moon has already traveled a quarter of its monthly journey and half of its face can be seen illuminated.
4. Growing gibbous
Now most of the Moon’s daytime side has come into view and the Moon appears brighter in the sky.
5. Full Moon
This is the closest we get to seeing the Sun’s illumination across the entire daytime side of the Moon.
6. Waning gibbous
As the Moon begins its journey back toward the Sun, the opposite side of the Moon now reflects the Moon’s light.
7. Last quarter
From Earth’s perspective, the Moon appears to be half-illuminated, but you are actually seeing half of the half of the Moon that is illuminated by the Sun, or a quarter.
8. Waning Crescent
The Moon has almost returned to the point in its orbit where its dayside faces directly at the Sun, and all we see from our perspective is a thin curve.