Tonight, when you look at the sky, you will be able to enjoy the most anticipated moment in the February lunar calendar. We will have the full Moon, a Moon that is traditionally known as Snow Moonamong other names, and which in some Asian cultures is very celebrated, as they relate it to the closing of a cycle and the beginning of another, with an opportunity to start over and make new resolutions.
Perhaps this full Moon of February 2024 seems a little smaller than usual, even a little less bright, and this year we can say that what we will have in February is a full micromoon.
If the term micromoon does not sound as familiar to you as the term supermoon, and it seems to you that perhaps it is a less spectacular Moon, you should know that both things – micromoon and supermoon – are related. Besides, the magic of looking at the sky and understand a little more where we are, how we move in space and what happens around us It also comes from observing the small.
Also remember that not every year we have a full moon in February, since it is the shortest month of the year, sometimes they are left without one, since there is not enough time for all the phases of the moon in a lunar cycle to occur in full.
When is the Full Moon in February 2024
The full Moon of February 2024 occurs this Saturday the 24th and, as you will see in the lunar calendar of 2024, it is the last full moon of this winter.
From the astronomical point of viewoccurs at 1:30 p.m. Spanish peninsular time, so when it appears over the horizon around seven in the afternoon it will already be completely illuminated and will do so aligned with the constellation of Leo, with the star Regulus shining to its right.
If you saw it full on Friday the 23rd or see it full on Sunday the 25th It is because, when the Moon rises in the sky at night, it will do so in both cases with more than 99% illuminationand to the human eye the difference is imperceptible.
Why is it called a micromoon?
The Moon is these days near its peakthat is, at the moment of its orbit in which the distance from the Earth is maximum. Is the opposite of what happens when a supermoon occurswhich occurs when the Moon is at a closer distance from the Earth.
He apogee of the Moon, This moment of maximum distancing will occur specifically the day after the full Moon, the Sunday February 25.
Being further away, the Moon looks slightly smaller and, if anything, a little less bright. The difference is minimal, and if you don’t have a trained eye, you probably won’t even be able to see it. The Moon will shine as majestically as ever in the night sky.
Why is it called the Snow Moon?
The name Snow Moon was given by the Native Americans, because February is the month of the year in which snowfalls typically occur. heavy snowfall on the North American continentas in many other areas of the northern hemisphere.
Also receive other names like Bone Moon and Hunger Moon.
In those times, being a time of year in which winter is very intense, food was scarce both in the fields and in the forests and in the houses. Hunger must have been common in many lands and it must not have been strange that they survived by gnawing the bones of the little meat that remained and using them to make bone broth.
For the Hopi tribe, however, the full moon in February was the Moon of purification and renewal.
He American agricultural almanac It has collected these names from North American tradition since 1930 and they are the ones that have become most popular, but many other cultures have given names to each Moon of the year in relation to their customs and climate. These names are born from a life in which the contact with nature It was much narrower and that is why it is not surprising that, in other parts of the world, the names of the February full Moon have parallel resonances with those in North America.
Other names of the February full moon
In Europethe Celts referred to the February Moon as Ice Moon or Storm Moondue to the frosts and storms this month. February is also in much of the northern hemisphere, including Europe, the coldest month of the year.
In Spain the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded Since a record has been kept, it dates back to February 2, 1956, when -32º C was reached in Lake Gento, Lérida.
In Asiathe full Moon in February arrives fifteen days after the lunar year begins. Many Asian cultures, although they follow the Gregorian calendar, organize their festivities around the lunar calendar and celebrate the beginning of the year with festivities that begin with the first new Moon of the lunar year and last for two weeks until the full Moon occurs.
This full Moon is usually the full Moon of February, which being the first full Moon of the lunar year tends to relate to new beginnings.
in Chinathe Chinese New Year celebrations, which begin with the new Moon in January, culminate with the celebration of the Lantern Festivalalso known as Yuanxiao Festival. This festival takes place on the full moon, usually the full moon in February. The traditional dessert served on this full moon night is some ball-shaped dumplingsperhaps symbolizing that completely illuminated Moon.
In southern and central China they are known as Tangyuan, they are made with glutinous rice flour and served in a broth or syrup, while in the north of the country they are called Yuanxiao and are usually served in a small basket.
In Hindu tradition, this full Moon (Purnima) is known as Magha Purnimathe full Moon of the Magha month. It is usually the full moon in February, like this year, although some years it can fall in January.
It is a Full moon with a lot of spiritual meaning and an important milestone in the Hindu calendar. During the month of Magha people take a bath in the Ganges, Yamuna and other rivers every morning, as purification ritual. It is a month in which it is invited to practice austerity and charity. The ritual culminates on the day of the full moon, when tribute is paid to it.
Full moon in Virgo: how does it influence?
Although from Earth we will see the Moon near the constellation Leo, in astrology it is considered that in February we will have the full Moon in Virgo.
Although the full Moon is a little further away and may seem small, itThe full Moon continues to exert its influence on the Earthboth from the physical point of view and from the more spiritual perspective. «Beyond what the body’s eyes can see on the outside, there is a deeper vision that connects us with the truth that lives in each of us,» reflects evolutionary astrology specialist Marga Roldán, who encourages us to «open our eyes to contemplate the outside and connect with our infinite inner universe.»
According to Marga Roldán, the full Moon in Virgo offers an opportunity to put order, both outside, at home, and inside, in your emotions and thoughts. «Today maybe you feel that strength that makes you put yourself forward order without any effort. You can take advantage of contemplate what your internal order is like«he explains. «Also see if The absence of order makes you compulsively order the externalsearching for the desire for that internal structure that allows you to sustain yourself.
The influences of the Moon are also taken into account in the garden and the full moon is considered optimal for fertilize the plants and thus stimulate its growth more effectively.
What is the black moon of February
Since the lunar cycle lasts 29.5 days It may be the case that in February, which has only 28 or 29 days, some year there will be no full Moon. The last time this happened was in 2018 and will happen again in 2037. When February does not have a full moon, it is called a black moon.
«black moon» It is not an astronomical termbut the popular name of this curiosity. In fact, it is popularly used to also designate other Moons, such as the second new Moon of a month in which two new Moons occur (the equivalent of the blue Moon in terms of full Moons) or it is even the way some refer to the new Moon itself, because it looks black.