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Tonight, February 19, a full moon will rise in the night sky, called the snow moon. The celestial body will appear large and bright in the sky, the second of three consecutive super-moons. Astronomers believe that this Supermoon will be the biggest and brightest to see all year.
Why is February's full moon known as the Super Snow Moon?
Every month of the year usually sees a full moon, and each of these moon bears a different name.
Last month saw the wolf moon, March is the worm moon and February the snow moon.
The names date back to the time of the Amerindians, when the Moons were given a name according to the season in which they had fallen.
Read more: Full Moon 2019: What time does Super Snow Moon get up tomorrow?
The February Moon is known as the Snow Moon because it was the time when there was more snow on the ground in some parts of the United States.
These areas include New York, Philadelphia, Portland and Washington DC.
It is also known as Hunger Moon, because of the shortage of food and difficult hunting conditions during the winter.
This month's Full Moon is considered a special feature, not only because of the presence of the Snow Moon, but also because it is also a Supermoon.
A supermoon is a full moon that appears larger in the sky than usual, as it is closest to the Earth in its orbit.
The point of the orbit of the Moon closest to the Earth is called the perigee and the farthest point is called the climax.
Dr. Paige Godfrey, Slooh astronomer, explains: "A supermoon is a heavenly wonder because it's when the moon can appear 30% brighter and nearly 14% larger than a typical full moon.
"This is one of the few nights of the year when people really notice the lifting of the full moon."
This month's Supermoon will be the second of three consecutive Supermoons.
February can also be a month without any Full Moon, once every 19 years.
When this occurs, it is called Black Moon and the last one occurred in 2018, in most time zones.
When a black moon occurs, there are usually two full moons in January and March, creating a double blue moon.
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