Smallest full Moon of the year rises on February 5; know all about the Snow 'micromoon'

The smallest full Moon of the year is out in the night sky and will be shining bright despite being farther than usual. Named Snow Moon or Wolf Moon, the celestial neighbour will be 14% smaller in size owing to its position around the Earth in an elliptical orbit. Due to its far-off position from Earth, it is called a 'micromoon' but it will appear full and bright for the next three days given the weather conditions are clear. 

What's the story behind the name?

According to NASA, the aforementioned names are Native American ones and became widely known after they started getting published in the Maine Farmers' Almanac in the 1930s. The Almanac says that it was during this time in February when the tribes of the current northeastern United States called this the Snow Moon or the Storm Moon because of the heavy snow that falls in this season. This Moon was also called the Hunger Moon because bad weather and heavy snowstorms made hunting difficult.

Supermoon vs micromoon

The Moon, as we know it, orbits Earth in an elliptical orbit, which is basically a stretched circle. This stretched orbit causes a variation in the distance between the Moon and the Earth when the former is at apogee (farthest point) and perigee (closest point). According to NASA, the perigee is an average distance of about 3,63,300 kilometers from Earth whereas the Moon is at 4,05,500 kilometers from Earth at apogee. When a full moon appears at perigee, it is slightly brighter and larger than a regular full moon – and that's when it is called a "supermoon".

Apart from the micromoon, planets namely Jupiter, Mars, and Venus will also grace the skies and will be visible to the unaided eye. NASA says that the planets Venus and Mars will appear next to each other and will be visible throughout the month of February.