Skygazers may have noticed the bright moon in the sky Monday evening as it approached peak fullness. Luckily for anyone who missed it, it will still appear full Tuesday evening as well. That's because for many, the moon reached actual fullness during the day Tuesday when it wasn't visible to many people.
The moon reached fullness at 10:53 a.m. EST Tuesday, so for those across all of the continental United States, it was light out when the moon became full. But it will still look just as full at night, the naked eye can't usually detect the difference a few hours makes.
Anyone hoping to see the full moon Tuesday night simply has to head outside and take a look up at the sky. The moon is expected to rise at 5:46 p.m. EST Tuesday night and not set until Wednesday morning at 7:35 a.m. EST, giving people plenty of time to try and see the full snow moon.
February's full moon was so special because not only was it full, it was also a supermoon, meaning it looked larger than the full moon does most times throughout the year. The full moon this month is called the "snow moon" because it happens in February around the time when the heaviest snows of the year happen in the north, according to The Farmer's Almanac.
The moon is sometimes also called the "hunger moon" because of the time of the year during which it happens, according to NASA. The snow or hunger moon happens in February when snow and freezing temperatures can make hunting particularly difficult to do. That can cause a lack of food and ultimately, hunger.
In addition to the full moon, this month has had several other beautiful sights in the night sky. Venus and Mars are both visible in the southeast part of the sky for the time being, visible just before sunrise. The two will then move away from one another though until they're in line with Jupiter, but they'll remain visible in the southeast part of the sky just before the sun rises each day.
The bright light coming from the moon might make some of the planets in the sky a bit more difficult to spot until it starts to wane again after the full moon. The next full moon comes in March, the full "worm moon."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Nina was a breaking news reporter. She previously worked at Business Insider, The Boston Globe, and Boston.com.
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