Get Ready For The Second Supermoon Of The Year

Today is a great day for sky watchers and selenophiles because the next full moon is set to be the biggest and brightest of the year, according to NASA.

The “super snow moon” as it is being called, will cross the skies tonight, Feb. 19, and will appear seven percent larger and 15 percent brighter than the “super blood wolf moon eclipse.”

But if that isn’t enough, the subsequent full moon in March will also be a “supermoon,” rounding off 2019 with a total of three “supermoons.”

Normally, in a given year, between two and four full moons can be classified as “supermoons.”A supermoon is a full or new moon that coincides with the point when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit. In other words, a supermoon is a full or new moon coming within 90 percent of its closest approach to Earth.

In tonight’s case, the Snow Moon will come within 221,681 miles in its nearest approach to Earth at perigee.

The term “snow moon” is the historic name given to the second full moon of winter by certain Native American tribes in the U.S., according to NASA, and is called the snow moon due to typical snowfall during this time of year.

By: Maytinee Kramer