February's full moon reaches its peak on Wednesday and is called the Snow Moon. The moon can be at its fullest illumination at roughly 11:59 a.m. ET on the night time of February 16, in response to Previous Farmer's Almanac.

For one of the best view of the Snow Moon, skywatchers ought to observe it on this night time or on the night time earlier than.

The that means of the identify Snow Moon is pretty easy, it comes from the truth that February is the month through which america tends to expertise heavy snowfall.

Previous Farmer's Almanac says that the identify was first used within the 1760s by Captain Jonathan Carver. The early explorer of North America and the writer of many journey guides, Carver wrote the identify for this era of the yr was the Snow Moon as a result of "extra snow generally falls throughout this month than another within the winter."

Previous Farmer's Almanac says that Carver's suspicions are backed up by information from the Nationwide Climate Service which reveals that February is certainly america' snowiest month.

Different Names for February's Full Moon

Many of the names used for full moons come from Native American, Colonial American, and European sources, with every identify usually used to explain the whole lunar month.

One different identify for the Snow Moon additionally focuses on the interval's harsh climate situations, the Storm Moon.

Many different different names for the Snow Moon that originate from Native Individuals are centered round animals. The Cree folks, whose area included a big space throughout what's now Canada starting from east of Hudson Bay and James Bay as far west as Alberta and Nice Slave Lake in response to Britannica, named it the Bald Eagle Moon.

Additionally utilizing the fowl theme have been the Haida folks, who had territories in British Columbia, Canada and Alaska, who known as February's full moon the Goose Moon.

The Ojibwa tribe of what's now southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States and Northern Plains, known as February's full moon the Bear Moon, whereas the Tlingit peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America known as it the Black Bear Moon.

Each the Dakota folks and a number of the Algonquin tribe named the February full moon after barely much less fierce and smaller mammals, calling it the Raccoon Moon and Groundhog Moon respectively.

One other theme for this winter full moon for Native Individuals mirrored the dearth of assets and meals introduced by the season.

Previous Farmer's Almanac says that the Cherokee known as February the "Month of the Bony Moon" and had the choice identify for the Snow Moon of the Hungry Moon.

For Buddhists, this full moon corresponds with the second most vital competition of the yr, Māgha Pūjā. Based on NASA, the celebration is held on the total moon day of the third lunar month in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, and on the total moon day of Tabaung, Myanmar.

When Are the Subsequent Full Moons in 2022?

The following full moon in 2022 is the Worm Moon which can be absolutely illuminated on March 18 at 3:17 a.m. The next desk reveals the remainder of 2022's full moons, their dates, names, and occasions in U.S. Japanese Time.

March 18Worm Moon3:17 a.m.
April 16Pink Moon2:55 p.m.
Could 16Flower Moon12:14 a.m.
June 14Strawberry Moon7:52 a.m.
July 13Buck Moon2:37 p.m.
August 11Sturgeon Moon9:36 p.m.
September 10Harvest Moon5:59 a.m.
October 9Hunter's Moon4:55 p.m.
November 8Beaver Moon6:02 a.m.
December 7Chilly Moon11:08 p.m.
Full Moon in Winter
A inventory picture of the total moon in winter. February's full moon is the snow moon. Onkamon Buasorn/GETTY