snow moon
Cody Medina
Cody Medina
February 10, 2021 ·  3 min read

The Perfectly Named Snow Moon Will Appear Later This Month

As January came to a close, we were given our first full moon of 2021. The wolf moon was fully illuminated in the starry sky on January 28th. Giving us a sense of hope for the coming year. Now that we are almost halfway through February, you won’t want to miss the next astronomical event. You’ll want to mark down your calendars for Saturday, February 27th, as the snow moon will be visible in the night sky.

The Super Snow Moon

What’s amazing about the snow moon is that it has more than one name. Based on different cultures, this moon has a symbolic meaning. Firstly, it’s called the snow moon because of the month it’s in. February is technically one of the snowiest months of the year, depending on where you live. However, it’s also been labeled as the hungry moon, goose moon, groundhog moon, raccoon moon, and bald eagle moon. As you can see, this particular moon holds a lot of significance. It’s more than just the second of twelve full moons occurring this year.

It’s been labeled as the hungry moon by the Cherokee as an indicator of the lack of food produced this month. Other Indigenous tribes have named this moon after animals like the ones mentioned above—all having their own specific ties to the lore surrounding certain events that have happened on this day.

As the snow moon continues to rotate throughout the month, its peak will be most noticeable on the 27th. The snow moon will be visible for those that live in the United States, peaking around 3:17 A.M.

What To Do During The Snow Moon

This is also a perfect month to get your chickens ready for egg setting. Even though it may be considered a ‘hungry moon’ to some, it doesn’t mean we can’t get ready. On top of that, you’ll be happy that you started this work earlier rather than later. If you haven’t done this already, the starting dates in February were on the 1st and 2nd this month. However, you can set your eggs on the 28th and 29th just after the snow moon has passed.

If you’re planning on gardening then you will want to mark down these dates. Planting roots like radishes, carrots, potatoes, anything below ground you’ll want to plant them on the 3rd through the 5th. Anything above ground you’ll want to start the 12th, 13th, or 22nd and 23rd. These are optimal dates to get your garden started for the coming spring season.

If you love to fish, you will want to mark your calendar for the 11th through the 27th. These dates are claimed to be some of the best times for people to go fishing at their favorite spots. Ice-fishing, in particular, is considered to be an enjoyable event during this month. People are usually looking for Walleye during the snow moon.

Get Out The Moon Calculator

Luckily, there’s something called a moon calculator. It takes your location into account helps you figure rise and set times of the moon in your area. You can also use this to plan out the other full moons that will happen this year. We are only on the 2nd full moon of 2021, and we have 10 more to go after this one. There are plenty of celestial events to take in!

Related: 12 full moons in 2021 will include 3 supermoons and a blue moon

References

  1. FULL MOON FOR FEBRUARY 2021.” Almanac. January 21, 2021.
  2. MOONRISE AND MOONSET CALCULATOR.” Almanac
  3. 2021 Full Moon Calendar.” Space. Kimberly Hickok. February 2021. 
  4. Snow Moon and Ice Fishing for Walleye.” Epod. Rick Stankiewicz. March 21, 2013.
  5. Gardening Moon Calendar – February 2021.” Moon Calendar