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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Nisha Mal

Enchanting 'Snow Moon' set to light up the skies in February

A stunning 'Snow Moon' is set to appear next month.

It'll be the final full moon of the astronomical winter season - so it's certainly one to diary if you like astrology.

Otherwise known as the Hunger Moon, it is associated with snow because February is traditionally the month when we see the most of it.

It is set to grace our skies at the end of the month, on Sunday, February 28.

In ancient times, February was a time where it became even more difficult to hunt for food due to the colder weather and dark evenings.

A full moon occurs when the moon appears like a full circle in the sky and we see it as a full orb.

In January we saw the first full moon of the year, called the Wolf Moon on Thursday, 28.

It is believed to have taken its name as wolves howl more often at this time of year, thanks to a scarcity of food.

February's Snow Moon will be followed by the Worm Moon, the Pink Moon, the Flower Moon and the Strawberry Moon.

Gordon Johnston, a program executive at NASA Headquarters, wrote in a post : "From what I have learned about traditional names given to full moons prior to the introduction of modern timekeeping, local leaders would usually decide on the name of the moon based on conditions at the time.

"These cultures did not generally need calendars that specify exact dates far in advance.

"Full moon names were used to describe and remember what happened in the past and to remind of what was likely to come in the near future."

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