February’s full moon shines bright tonight. Here’s what to expect from the Snow Moon

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February’s full moon shines bright tonight. Here’s what to expect from the Snow Moon

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The Full Snow Moon will rise tonight around sunset. . | Credit: Dale Johnson / 500px via Getty Images

Tonight, skywatchers are in for a treat as the Full Snow Moon rises.

The moon reached its peak brightness at 8:53 a.m. EST (1353 GMT) on Feb. 12, but local moonrise and moonset times will depend on your location. As the February full moon rises,

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will remain high in the sky to the upper right of the moon, creating a delightful skywatching scene.

For those in the eastern U.S., the moon will be visible just after sunset, creating a beautiful sight against the twilight sky. It will climb quite high, reaching its peak around midnight, where it will remain visible for the rest of the night before setting with the morning sun.

A

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happens when

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is directly opposite the sun from our perspective on Earth, fully illuminated by sunlight. While most full moons are completely lit up, sometimes the moon’s orbit brings it into Earth’s shadow, causing a

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(the next time this will happen will be across

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). February’s full moon will miss Earth’s shadow, however. This is because the moon’s orbit is tilted about five degrees relative to Earth’s path around the sun, which means the sun,

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and moon won’t line up perfectly this time.

The Snow Moon is named for the season it falls within, as February is often one of the snowiest months in the northern hemisphere.

This month, the Snow Moon’s appearance is accompanied by several bright planets, including Jupiter and Venus. For those with a clear view of the western horizon,

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will be visible just after sunset, and

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will shine high above the Orion constellation as the evening progresses.

TOP TELESCOPE PICK:

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A Celestron telescope on a white background

Looking for a telescope to see the features of the full moon up close? We recommend the

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as the top pick in our

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. Don’t forget a

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!

Fancy taking a more in-depth moonlit tour of our rocky companion? Our

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can help you plan your next skywatching venture whether it be exploring the lunar seas, mountainous terrain, or the many craters that blanket the landscape. You can also see where astronauts, rovers and landers have ventured with our

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.

If you’re specifically looking for a telescope to view the moon, our

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guide may help. We also have a guide to

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which covers everything from equipment to shooting modes and more. Our

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and

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can also help you prepare to capture your next skywatching sight.

Editor’s Note: If you get a great photo of the full moon and would like to share it with

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’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to *****@*****.tld.

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#Februarys #full #moon #shines #bright #tonight #Heres #expect #Snow #Moon

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