JACKSON, Wyo. — “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore!”
So sang Dean Martin in his timeless classic “That’s Amore.” This month’s full moon is arriving just in time to shine like a big pizza pie for those celebrating Valentine’s Day. The moon is expected to reach peak illumination on Wednesday morning, Feb. 12, though it is likely to appear full through Friday, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
February’s full moon is known traditionally as the “snow moon” due to the heavy snowfall that occurs this time of year. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, February’s full moon has also been called the Bald Eagle Moon or Eagle Moon by the Nêhiyawak (Cree). The Ojibwe called it the Bear Moon and the Tlingit called it the Black Bear Moon, both referring to the time when bear cubs are born. The Dakota also call this the Raccoon Moon, certain Anishinaabe (Algonquin) peoples named it the Groundhog Moon and the Haida named it Goose Moon.
Other folkloric names used for the February full moon reflect winter as a time of scarcity, including the Month of the Bony Moon and Hungry Moon, both from the Ani-Yunwiya, (Cherokee), per the almanac.
When stargazing this week, keep an eye out for Venus, a planet that appropriately takes center stage during Valentine’s celebrations.
“This month, Venus shines at its brightest for the year,” NASA writes on its website. “It’ll remain dazzling through the start of March as it slowly descends from its late-January high point in the sky. By mid-March, it will disappear into the glare of sunset, only to reappear as a morning object in April.”
