February’s full moon, known as the Snow Moon, will appear this weekend, but be warned: a cloudy forecast in Pittsburgh offers no guarantees that we could get a clear look, the weatherman says.
The Snow Moon will peak at 2:33 a.m. Sunday, according to timeanddate.com.
You can see a full moon plus or minus one day around its peak, which provides a three-day window of possibility, according to Terry Trees of New Kensington, past president of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh.
But this is Pittsburgh. Cloudy skies are forecast for Saturday and Monday, with still some cloud cover Sunday.
The clouds could break up, according to Jared Rackley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The February full moon is known as the Snow Moon and Hunger Moon by Native Americans because of the snowfall in February and the challenging hunting conditions late in winter, according to the website moonconnection.com.
Alas, there might not be snow, according to Rackley. Despite Friday’s steady snow, warmer temperatures Sunday could melt most, but maybe not all, of the snow cover.
If conditions are right and the snow moon is visible, Trees said, viewers should look for “rays” on the moon, or white stripes coming out of some of the crates. The rays are caused by asteroids crashing into the moon. Viewers will need binoculars to catch the “rays,” he added.
The first star parties of the year, sponsored by the Amateur Astronomers Association, will be held April 3 and 4 at the Wagman Observatory in Deer Lakes Park and on April 18 at Kunkle Park in Washington Township.
