Late this evening, as Friday turns to Saturday, the Snow Moon will light up the night sky.
At 1:17 a.m. Saturday, February’s full moon will be at its fullest illumination. Likely to be clear, according to the National Weather Service, Colorado has a great shot at seeing the Snow Moon.
So what is it?
The Snow Moon is what The Old Farmer’s Almanac calls the February full moon, and its nomenclature is based in Native American, Colonial American and European culture, according to the almanac.
February is an easy one to reason as heavy snowfall occurs this month. Denver had its snowiest storm in five years earlier this week. On average, February is the United States’ snowiest month; in Colorado, it’s March.
In other cultures, the Snow Moon is known as the Bald Eagle Moon, Bear Moon, Raccoon Moon, Groundhog Moon and Goose Moon.
The moon will rise at 6:27 p.m. and set at 7:11 a.m. Friday into Saturday.
Here are the rest of this year’s full moons with their names:
- January 28 — Wolf Moon
- March 28 — Worm Moon
- April 26 — Pink Moon
- May 26 — Flower Moon
- June 24 — Strawberry Moon
- July 23 — Buck Moon
- August 22 — Sturgeon Moon
- September 20 — Harvest Moon
- October 20 — Hunter’s Moon
- November 19 — Beaver Moon
- December 18 — Cold Moon
Fun lunar fact: A little more than 50 years ago, on Feb. 6, 1971, Alan Shepard became the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon.
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