In 2023, the February Full Moon is the second full moon of the winter 2022-2023 season. It is the second full moon after the Winter Solstice in 2022. From celebrants of China's Lantern Festival that honored the first full moon of the Chinese New Year, to astronauts on the International Space Station, the full Snow Moon turned heads and shone in photos despite being the smallest "micromoon" of 2023. The annual Lantern Festival in China, in other Asian countries, and in communities around the world celebrated the arrival of the moon, the first of the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. The festival honors deceased ancestors during Yuan, the first month of the lunar calendar.

The full moon of February, called the Snow Moon in some Native American cultures. However, certain Algonquin tribes called it the Groundhog Moon. What makes February’s full moon so special is that it is a “micromoon.” What is a micromoon? When the full moon rises in February it will be at apogee, or the farthest point in its orbit around the Earth. This will make the moon appear smaller than usual, hence the name “micromoon.” According to science news site EarthSky, the moon will be 252,171 miles away, whereas the average distance is 237,700 miles between the Earth and the moon. The distance will make the moon appear smaller, per Space.com — up to 14% smaller than a supermoon. January’s moon was also a “micromoon.”

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When I first stepped outside to photograph the February full moon, the vertical cloud trail to the right was directly over the moon. Because that looked so unusual and somewhat eerie, I now wish I had taken a photo of it. Unfortunately, I didn't think of getting my cell phone out until later.