Want to see a ‘minimoon’ rise over Kentucky? Here’s why it will look smaller than usual

A full “snow” moon will be visible over Kentucky in late February, but it won’t look quite as big as most full moons.

The celestial event is unofficially referred to as a “minimoon,” according to astronomy publication Space.com, because it will occur one day before the moon reaches the farthest point from Earth in its orbit. Because it will be farther away from Earth, it won’t look as big to stargazers.

The snow moon gets its name from the relatively frequent snowfall that typically happens in February, the Farmers’ Almanac reports. Other names for the moon include the deep snow moon, ice moon, midwinter moon and more.

Full moons have multiple names, and many come from Indigenous cultures. The Farmers’ Almanac uses Indigenous moon names, along with monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.

Here’s when to look for this month’s full moon in the Lexington area.

When can you see the snow moon in Lexington?

The snow moon will become full at 7:31 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Saturday, Feb. 24, according to NASA, and will appear full from the evening of Thursday, Feb. 22 to Sunday, Feb. 25.

The sun will set at 6:25 p.m. in Lexington Feb. 24 and rise at 7:15 a.m. the next morning, according to online global clock Time and Date.

Saturday night should be mostly clear in Lexington, the National Weather Service forecasts, with a low around 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Bluegrass Amateur Astronomy Club will host a stargazing event at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary April 6 and another at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill April 13. The events are public; there may be a $1 charge at Raven Run.

More full moons in 2024

If you miss the snow moon, you will have 10 more chances to catch a full moon this year, including a few full supermoons.

Here’s this year’s full moon calendar, with information from Space.com:

• March 25: Worm moon

• April 23: Pink moon

• May 23: Flower moon

• June 21: Strawberry moon

• July 21: Buck moon

• Aug. 19: Sturgeon moon (supermoon and blue moon)

• Sept. 17: Harvest moon (supermoon and partial lunar eclipse)

• Oct. 17: Hunter’s moon (supermoon)

• Nov. 15: Beaver moon (supermoon)

• Dec. 15: Cold moon

Additionally, stargazers in Lexington can see a partial eclipse beginning at 1:50 p.m. April 8, and those in Paducah will see the eclipse in totality from 2 to 2:02 p.m. Central Daylight Time that day.

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This story was originally published February 17, 2024 at 9:00 AM.