The full moon of February shone in gorgeous images internationally.
From celebrants of China’s Lantern Competition that honored the primary full moon of the Chinese language new yr, to astronauts on the International Space Station , the total Snow Moon turned heads and shone in images regardless of being the smallest “micromoon” of 2023.
The full moon of February, known as the Snow Moon in some Native American cultures, occurred within the japanese U.S. at 1:28 p.m. (1828 GMT) on Sunday (Feb. 5), per the U.S. Naval Observatory (opens in new tab) . In New York Metropolis, the was seen at 5:10 p.m. — about eight minutes earlier than sundown, which means it was seen on the identical time within the sky as the sun .
Associated: February full moon 2023: The Snow Moon rises with Jupiter, Mars and Orion
Should you’re on the lookout for a telescope or binoculars to watch the following full moon, our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now might help. Our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can even show you how to put together to seize the following skywatching sight by yourself.
Fancy taking a extra in-depth moonlit tour of our rocky companion? Our ultimate guide to observing the moon will show you how to plan your subsequent skywatching enterprise whether or not it’s exploring the lunar seas, mountainous terrain, or the numerous craters that blanket the panorama. You can even see the place astronauts, rovers and landers have ventured with our Apollo landing sites observing guide .
The Full Snow Moon rises over the edgeNYC outdoor observation deck on the top of 50 Hudson Yards in New York City. (Image credit: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
(opens in new tab)
The Full Snow Moon rises above buildings during the Lantern Festival on Feb. 5, 2023 in Taian, Shandong Province of China. (Image credit: VCG via Getty Images)
(opens in new tab)
A private plane flies in front of the Full Snow Moon in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2023. (Image credit: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
(opens in new tab)
The Full Snow Moon rises over the skyline of Madrid on Feb. 5, 2023. (Image credit: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(opens in new tab)
The Full Snow Moon rises behind Corno Grande peaks in Gran Sasso dItalia National Park in L’Aquila, Italy on Feb. 5, 2023. (Image credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(opens in new tab)
The Full Snow Moon was the smallest full moon of the yr as a result of distance from Earth the moon was at in its orbit round our planet. Referred to as a “micromoon ,” the Full Snow Moon of February was the other of a supermoon and was as much as 14% smaller than the moon at its largest extent. Most observers, nevertheless, had been unable to see the distinction.
The annual Lantern Competition in China, in different Asian nations, and in communities around the globe celebrated the arrival of the moon, the primary of the Chinese language 12 months of the Rabbit. The pageant honors deceased ancestors throughout Yuan, the primary month of the lunar calendar, based on Encyclopedia Britannica (opens in new tab) .
Astronauts on the ISS noticed the moon fairly simply. “The sight of the full moon rising from the pale blue ambiance seen from the ISS is breathtakingly stunning,” wrote Koichi Wakata, an astronaut with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), on Twitter (opens in new tab) . (Translation from Japanese offered by Google.)
Astrophotographers within the U.S. and different nations noticed the Full Snow Moon and captured footage of our neighbor shining within the sky.
Editor’s Observe: Should you snap a photograph of the moon and wish to share it with House.com’s readers, ship your picture(s), feedback, and your identify and site to spacephotos@space.com .
Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of “ Why Am I Taller (opens in new tab) ?” (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a e book about space drugs. Observe her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab) . Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab) .
