The Storm Moon

Or Ice Moon or Snow Moon…February’s full moon

This month’s full moon falls on February 5th at 6.29pm. I’ve chosen this picture even though I find it a bit spooky because it is called ‘A Carnival Evening’, and of course we are coming up to Carnevale time, the great pre-Lent festival, as celebrated in Venice and New Orleans and…not Bristol…where we confine ourselves to a modest pancake.

Henri Rousseau A Carnival Evening, 1886

Some old names for this full moon include Storm Moon, Ice Moon and Snow Moon, which covers all possible bases really doesn’t it?

Also in our skies later this month, look out for a close approach of Venus, Jupiter and the moon on the 22nd, in the southwest sky only between about 6-8pm. On the 27th there will be a conjunction of the moon and Mars from about 6pm and into the early hours of the next morning. Mars is dimming now and will be harder to spot as the year goes on, so it’s a good time to try to spot it before it fades.

Info is from The Almanac 2023. Hope the clouds clear for you!