Good evening fellow stargazers!
On Sunday, February 5th, we were treated to the smallest full moon of the year. The February Full Moon -- also known as the Full Cold Moon here in North America -- was also (like January's full moon) a Micromoon.
As I mentioned before here on this site, a Micromoon is when a Full Moon, or a New Moon, coincides with apogee -- the point in the Moon's orbit in which its farthest away from the Earth.
Our beautiful Luna reached its farthest distance from the Earth for the year and the second, and final Micromoon of the year was at a distance of approximately 252,171 miles (or 405,830 kilometers) away.
Even though Luna was slightly more distant than her average distance from us here on Earth -- nominally about 237,700 miles (or 382,500 kilometers) away -- visibly most people can't tell the difference in size. Between a Supermoon and a Micromoon, the size difference ranges between around 10 to 15 percent.
As you can see from the title picture, taken with my lovely U.S. Flag in the foreground, the rising Full Snow Micromoon really doesn't look much different than any other full moon. In the more close-up and light-filtered photo I took, one can clearly see the lunar features, including all the main "seas" and larger craters on the surface -- which I highlighted in my third and final photo of the evening.
On Sunday, February 5th, we were treated to the smallest full moon of the year. The February Full Moon -- also known as the Full Cold Moon here in North America -- was also (like January's full moon) a Micromoon.
As I mentioned before here on this site, a Micromoon is when a Full Moon, or a New Moon, coincides with apogee -- the point in the Moon's orbit in which its farthest away from the Earth.
Our beautiful Luna reached its farthest distance from the Earth for the year and the second, and final Micromoon of the year was at a distance of approximately 252,171 miles (or 405,830 kilometers) away.
Even though Luna was slightly more distant than her average distance from us here on Earth -- nominally about 237,700 miles (or 382,500 kilometers) away -- visibly most people can't tell the difference in size. Between a Supermoon and a Micromoon, the size difference ranges between around 10 to 15 percent.
As you can see from the title picture, taken with my lovely U.S. Flag in the foreground, the rising Full Snow Micromoon really doesn't look much different than any other full moon. In the more close-up and light-filtered photo I took, one can clearly see the lunar features, including all the main "seas" and larger craters on the surface -- which I highlighted in my third and final photo of the evening.
The Lunar "seas" (or maria) are the dark topographical features that we see on the Moon's surface which cover about a little under half of the visible side of the Moon that faces the Earth. Overall these dark places cover about 15% of the Moon's crust.
They were named by early human astronomers who mistook them for actual oceans on the Moon and named the maria accordingly. Today we are aware that there is no water on the surface of the Moon (though its speculated there could be under the surface, possibly in underground deposits).
The gray and black lunar maria we observe here on Earth are actually impact basins created by collision with cosmic debris such as asteroid and meteor impacts that filled with lava when the Moon was still forming over 2 to 4 billion years ago.
These maria also form the famous "Man In The Moon" topographical illusion best seen when the Moon is full.
Well my friends I hope that you found my photos and information about this month's Full Micromoon to be enlightening. Hopefully I'll have some new night sky wonders to show y'all later this week when a comet and Mars come into close proximity on Friday, February 10th -- South Carolina winter weather permitting, of course.
They were named by early human astronomers who mistook them for actual oceans on the Moon and named the maria accordingly. Today we are aware that there is no water on the surface of the Moon (though its speculated there could be under the surface, possibly in underground deposits).
The gray and black lunar maria we observe here on Earth are actually impact basins created by collision with cosmic debris such as asteroid and meteor impacts that filled with lava when the Moon was still forming over 2 to 4 billion years ago.
These maria also form the famous "Man In The Moon" topographical illusion best seen when the Moon is full.
Well my friends I hope that you found my photos and information about this month's Full Micromoon to be enlightening. Hopefully I'll have some new night sky wonders to show y'all later this week when a comet and Mars come into close proximity on Friday, February 10th -- South Carolina winter weather permitting, of course.
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