Snow Moon: How to see 1st supermoon of 2020

The so-called "snow moon," the first supermoon of the year, will shine in the sky the night of Feb. 8-9.

Over the years, the full moon has been given nicknames for each month based on the time of year. February's full moon has been dubbed the snow moon since snowfall is usually at its heaviest in the Northern Hemisphere during February.

And this year's "snow moon" is extra special! It's the first of four supermoons in a row, from February to May.

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A supermoon occurs when the moon is at its closest approach to Earth, according to AccuWeather. The moon's orbit is not a perfect circle, so there are times when the moon is closer or farther from Earth. Those periods are known as perigee and apogee, respectively.

This makes a supermoon appear about 14% larger and 30% brighter than the average full moon.