mercredi 20 février 2019
The Super Snow Moon Is the Biggest and Brightest Event of 2019 - and It's Tonight!
Cancel any plans you had to finish binging the rest of Russian Doll tonight, because space is gracing us with another celestial wonder: a second 2019 super moon! The super snow moon - aptly named because February is one of the snowiest months of the year - is expected to really light up the sky tonight. In fact, compared to January's super blood wolf moon (which was totally a real thing, BTW), tonight's moon will be an entire 362 miles closer to Earth, according to NASA.
So what's so special about a super moon? Well, tonight's moon is something to get excited about because it will be at its biggest and brightest, appearing almost 14 percent larger and nearly 30 percent brighter than a typical moon. As explained by NASA astronomer Mitzi Adams, super moons appear largest as they are rising and setting due to an optical illusion known as the "Moon Illusion." This occurs when everyday objects like trees and buildings are nearby, and our minds trick us into thinking the moon is closer because of its proximity to the objects in our line of sight. So the moon isn't actually further away when it's right above you, but it will definitely look a lot more like a super moon if you can pull out your phone to snap a pic just as it's rising into the sky.
Because of the nature of the snow moon, it's possible that the snowy weather just might come between you and this wow-worthy celestial moment. If you don't want to miss out on the lunar spectacular, you can visit Virtual Telescope, based in Rome, for a real-time glimpse at the moon, starting at 11:30 p.m. ET, or check out Slooh starting at 7 p.m. ET.
And, if you miss out on tonight's full moon, don't worry; a third super moon is expected to make an appearance in March 2019!
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