Latest news with #GroundhogMoon
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How February's full moon is linked to snowy weather
February is one of the coldest and snowiest months across North America before the arrival of spring, and the wintry end to the season inspires the upcoming astronomical sight. The Snow Moon will illuminate the night sky during the new week, with the full moon visible on Tuesday night. It will continue to look full on Wednesday night, giving folks two opportunities to see the event. Clear, wintry nights are ideal for stargazing as there is less moisture in the atmosphere than during other seasons, resulting in crisper views of the moon, planets and stars. The full snow moon rises, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, near Redmond, Ore. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) The Snow Moon is just one of many nicknames for February's full moon, which also goes by other names, such as the Groundhog Moon, the Hungry Moon, the Bald Eagle Moon and the Bear Moon. "Across time, full Moons were used to track the seasons. It was a method of timekeeping. The full Moons were often given special names that reflected nature's signs," the Old Farmer's Almanac explained on its website. While people are outside, they should also look for the ongoing planetary parade featuring Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Saturn. •Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+ Despite the nicknames, the upcoming full moon will look like a typical full moon, but the next one will be much more impressive and worth staying up late to see. A total lunar eclipse will unfold during the next full moon on the night of Thursday, March 13, into the early morning of Friday, March 14. During the height of the eclipse, the moon will turn red, an event that will be visible across all of North America, weather permitting.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Snow Moon' to follow February's planetary parade
It has been a busy start to 2025 for astronomy lovers with plenty of planets spread across the sky, the moon passing between Mars and Earth in an eclipse-like event, and, in the Southern Hemisphere, views of a comet. The celestial shows will continue into February with more easy-to-see events, provided the weather cooperates. From the Full Snow Moon to crystal-clear views of the cosmos, here are the top astronomical sights to look for in February: The planetary parade that started in January will get even better during the first week of the month as the moon joins the celestial show. After sunset on Monday, Feb. 3, the crescent moon will appear in the middle of the alignment, glowing between Venus and Uranus in the southwestern sky. Six planets will be spread across the sky, but a telescope is needed to spot Uranus and Neptune. The moon will continue to sweep past the planets throughout the first part of the month, meeting up with Jupiter on Feb. 6 and pairing up with Mars on Feb. 9. The second full moon of 2025 will rise during the second week of February, appearing full on back-to-back nights. February's full moon is known as the Snow Moon, as it is typically one of the snowiest months of the year across North America. Other nicknames include the Groundhog Moon, the Hungry Moon, the Bald Eagle Moon and the Bear Moon. A passenger jet is silhouetted against the rising full moon as it takes off from Sky Harbor airport on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) The full moon will rise on the night of Tuesday, Feb. 11 into Wednesday, Feb. 12, and will continue to appear full on the following night. Winter is a pristine time for stargazing because the lack of moisture in the air makes the night sky appear crisper than during the humid and muggy nights of summer. The tradeoff, however, is enduring much colder weather while outdoors. Stars also seem to twinkle more during winter, especially some of the brighter ones like Sirius, which shines below the famous constellation Orion. It also helps to stargaze in the night surrounding the new moon, which occurs on Feb. 27, as the lack of moonlight causes the cosmos to appear darker. The constellation Orion shines above the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, on a clear night. () New skywatchers trying to identify planets in the night sky should focus on how objects appear; stars will twinkle, while planets will not.
