How to See the Biggest Supermoon of the Year
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Missed the Super Blood Wolf Moon last month? You’re in luck — another super moon is headed your way on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
Dubbed the Super Snow Moon (or sometimes the Storm Moon or the Hunger Moon), this one won’t be red like last month’s supermoon, but it will be just as big and perhaps even brighter. In fact, it’ll be the biggest supermoon of the year, according to EarthSky.
Supermoons occur when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit (perigee) and because this is a full moon, it will seem even bigger and brighter than usual. On Tuesday, the moon will be 17,000 miles closer than average to Earth. According to USA Today, it will appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a full moon at its farthest point from Earth (known as its apogee).
As you might guess, the best places to see the Super Snow Moon are those with little to no light pollution. And the best time to see it is around dawn or dusk, when it’s closest to the horizon. Though the moon will be at its fullest on Tuesday, around 10:53am EST and 7:53am PST, it’s worth looking up at the sky on Sunday and Monday nights, too, when the moon will still appear extra big and bright and there won’t be any pesky daylight to interfere with your moongazing.
And if you happen to be on a plane those nights, try to snag a window seat to catch a glimpse of the Super Snow Moon.
High tides and low tides will also be more extreme with the moon at its perigree. “Perigean high tides during full moon and new moon can cause major problems on some coasts, especially if weather adds high waves or a storm surge (due to low atmospheric pressure over the involved area),” according to NASA.
If you miss this supermoon, there will be another one on March 21, though it won’t be quite as impressive.
Featured photo by Fabian Oelkers on Unsplash.
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