Saturday

You may have noticed the moon will occasionally take on a dramatic shade of orange or red in the night sky. That's because of how sunlight strikes the moon's surface after passing through our atmosphere.

Different cultures give names to the moon, often based on common seasonal activities. It is thought that the worm moon got its name from the critters that squirm on the ground when it rains in the spring. While this is true, Indigenous tribes may have been referring to the beetle larvae that come from defrosting trees, according to Almanac.com.

The worm moon has also been called the sugar moon by Ojibwe tribes, as it marks the time of year when sticky sap from sugar maples emerges. It’s also been called the crow moon by other Indigenous tribes, as it marks the bird’s reappearance.

But that’s not the only exciting thing about the full moon. As the moon rises above the horizon, it may appear larger than usual because of “moon illusion.” The moon isn’t actually bigger in size, but it appears a little bigger because your eye has something to compare it to like buildings or trees.

Celtic people called the March full moon the "moon of winds." And, according to "A Dictionary of the Choctaw Language" (published in 1915), the Choctaw people called it the "big famine" – perhaps because it was the season when winter food stores would start to run low. It was named "worm moon" after "earthworm casts that appear as the ground thaws," NASA wrote in a post online.Southerners are more likely to use the term because of they have an abundance of earthworms, unlike the northern part of the U.S.

"When glaciers covered the northern part of North America they wiped out the native earthworms," NASA explained. "These glaciers melted about 12,000 years ago and the forests grew back without earthworms."

Names Given to the Moon by Different Native American Tribes: Rain (Diegueno). Bud Moon (Kiowa). Eagle Moon,Rain Moon (Cree). Green Moon (Pima). Deer Moon (Natchez). Moon of Winds (Celtic). Lizard Moon (San Juan). Death Moon (Neo-Pagan). Wind Strong Moon (Taos). Amaolikkervik Moon(Inuit). Little Frog Moon (Omaha). Little Spring Moon (Creek). Crane Moon (Potawatomi). Long Days moon (Wishram). Big Famine Moon (Choctaw). Moose Hunter Moon (Abenali). Whispering Wind Moon (Hopi). Little Spring Moon (Muscokee). Fish Moon (Colonial American). Snow Sore Eyes Moon(Dakota). Catching Fish Moon (Agonquin). Snow Crust Moon (Anishnaabe). Spring Moon (Passamaquoddy). Much Lateness Moon (Mohawk). Chaste Moon (Medieval English). Buffalo Calf moon (Arapaho, Sioux). Seed (Dark Janic), Plow Moon (Full Janic). Strawberry, Windy Moon, Lenten Moon (Cherokee). Worm Moon, Sugar Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon. (Algonquin).

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Tuesday

A "dog" was spotted in a flooded field full of debris with a bucket stuck on his head, but when they look closer they realize it's a wild animal they're dealing with

Thank you San Diego Humane Society

A Good Samaritan spotted what he thought was a dog in trouble. The animal had a plastic bucket stuck on his head and he was floating on the debris of a flooded river in California.

The San Diego Humane Society arrived to help the poor dog but they didn’t have a way to reach him. The only way to reach the dog was by boat. Luckily, they got help from lifeguards.

When the lifeguards picked up the animal and brought him back to shore they suspected something wasn’t exactly what it seemed. They didn’t know it initially, but it wasn’t a dog at all.

It turns out the “dog” was a coyote! Realizing they had a wild animal on their hands, the San Diego Humane Society transferred him over to a wildlife rehabilitation centre that specializes in predators. The poor little guy was suffering from mild hypothermia and was riddled with cactus spines.

Thankfully, the coyote is on the road to recovery thanks to his dedicated rescuers.

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Saturday

February’s full moon, known as the snow moon, is set to peak on Saturday, shining bright around the world in the night sky.

The moon will be at its most full at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday, according to EarthSky, but to the human eye, the moon will appear full for a couple of days, so the best time to view it will be the nights before and after its peak.

While called the snow moon — a nickname inspired by the heavy snowfall typically seen in February in parts of the United States, according to the Farmers’ Almanac — the golden orb will look almost like any ordinary full moon. But this moon will be a micromoon, meaning it might look slightly smaller than usual.

The full moon phase occurs when the moon, Earth and the sun are in alignment, in that order. February’s full moon will occur when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as the apogee, Klima said. The micromoon will also be dimmer than the moon typically looks by about 30%, according to EarthSky, allowing for slightly better visibility of nearby celestial objects, without the average luminous interference.

Native American tribes in the northeastern United States call February's full moon the "Snow Moon" because of the heavy snowfall this time of year, according to the Maine Farmer's Almanac.

Tribes across the United States have their own names for February's full moon, according to the Western Washington University Planetarium. The Arapaho in the Great Plains have the closest name to Snow Moon, which is "frost sparkling in the sun."

Other tribes have names that are the opposite, like the Zuni Tribe in New Mexico who call it "onon u'la'ukwamme," which means "no snow in trails."

Some tribes named this full moon after animals. The Tlingit Tribe in the Pacific Northwest call it "s'eek dis" or "black bear moon." The Haida Tribe in Alaska call it "hlgit'un kungáay" or "goose moon."

February's full moon is also known as the "Full Hunger Moon" because food was scarce and hunting was difficult for ancient tribes during this month.

February Moon names from different cultures Ice (Celtic). Old Moon (Cree). Gray Moon (Pima). Wind Moon (Creek). Winter Moon (Taos). Nuts Moon (Natchez). Avunnivik Moon (Inuit). Geese Moon (Omaha). Bony Moon (Cherokee). Purification Moon (Hopi). Little bud Moon (Kiowa). Snow Moon (Neo-Pagan). Lateness Moon (Mohawk). Shoulder Moon (Wishram). Rabbit Moon (Potawatomi). Sucker Moon (Anishnaabe). Long Dry Moon (Assiniboine). Little Famine Moon (Choctaw). Storm Moon (Medieval English). Sparkling Frost Moon (Arapaho). Running Fish Moon (Winnebago). Coyote Frighten Moon (San Juan). Spruce Tips Moon (Passamaquoddy). Raccoon Moon, Trees Pop Moon (Sioux). Hunger Moon : Dark, Storm Moon : Full (Janic). Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Trappers Moon (Algonquin).

Other moon names: Wolf Moon, Wild Moon, Quickening Moon, Solmonath Moon, Chaste Moon, Horning Moon, Red Moon, Big Winter Moon, Cleansing Moon.

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Thursday

In 2024, you'll have the chance to see 12 full moons, including two supermoons, a blue moon and two lunar eclipses.

Although experienced moon gazers know that the night of the full moon is not the best for observing the lunar surface (even with a good pair of binoculars), the sight of the full moon rising as an orb at dusk is a celestial view that's hard to beat.

Each full moon has a unique name that reflects its agricultural past. But besides the usual collection of full moons in 2024, there will also be two supermoons (when the moon's monthly perigee, or closest point to Earth, coincides with its full phase) and one seasonal blue moon (the third full moon of four occurring between an equinox and a solstice).

However, there will be fewer full moons in 2024 than in 2023. Since the lunar year — 12 orbits of the moon around Earth, each taking 29.5 days — lasts only 354 days, there are often 13 full moons in one solar year. That's exactly what happened in 2023. But with the first full moon of 2024 not rising until late January, the coming year will have only 12.

Old Farmer's Almanac states that the name for January's full moon, the Wolf Moon arises due to the fact it was seen at times of the year when wolves could be howling outside villages as a result of hunger.

The Full Wolf Moon. Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Native American villages. This moon was also known as the Old Moon or the Moon after Yule. In some tribes it was called the Full Snow Moon, but most applied that name to the next moon.

January Moon Names: Man Moon (Taos). Joyful Moon (Hopi). Avunniviayuk (Inuit). Quite Moon (Celtic). Ice Moon (San Juan). Cold Moon (Cherokee). Ice Moon (Neo-Pagan). Flying Ant Moon(Apache). Big Cold Moon (Mohawk). Cooking Moon (Choctaw). Strong Cold Moon (Sioux). Little Winter Moon (Creek). Her Cold Moon (Wishram). Cold Meal Moon (Natchez). Moon After Yule (Cherokee). Wolf Moon (Medieval English). Strong Cold Moon (Cheyenne). Quiet : Dark, Wolf : Full (Janic). Great Spirit Moon (Anishnaabe). Whirling Wind Moon (Passamaquoddy).

Wolf Moon, Old Moon, Winter Moon, Yule Moon (Algonquin).

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Tuesday

December's full moon will add some extra shine to Christmas when it glows brightest toward the end of the month. Appropriately called the Cold Moon, here's everything you need to know about when and how best to see it.

The next full moon will reach peak illumination just after Christmas on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, according to NASA.

To the naked eye, the moon will appear almost full on the nights of Dec. 24 and 25 (93% and 98%, respectively), creating a great moment for parents to read "T'was the Night Before Christmas," to their children, when the "moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, gave the luster of mid-day to objects below."

This full moon is also a partial lunar eclipse, according to the experts at NASA, an imperfect alignment of the sun, Earth and moon that results in the moon passing through only part of Earth's umbra.

It's the first full moon after the winter solstice when temperatures are normally freezing in the northern hemisphere.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, according to the National Weather Service, when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. This means selenophiles — people who love and appreciate the moon — will get extra time this month to marvel at Earth's lunar satellite as it soars across the heavens.

The name for December's full moon, the Cold Moon, is attributed to the tradition of the Mohawk people, according to the Farmer's Almanac. The name reflects the frigid conditions of December and the increasing grip of winter.

Other names for December's full moon also reflect icy conditions and the deepening of winter. These include the Snow Moon from the Haida and Cherokee traditions and the Western Abenaki people's Winter Maker Moon.

Alternative names for the Cold Moon describe the effects of winter on the environment and nature. These include the Cree's Frost Exploding Trees Moon and the Moon of the Popping Trees from the Oglala people. These nature-based names include the Dakota people's name for the December full moon, the Moon When the Deer Shed Their Antlers.

Some names for the December full moon relate to other observations of the period surrounding this full moon, such as the Mohican name for this full moon, the Long Night Moon, which references the fact it rises on the nights close to the winter solstice which are the longest nights of the years.

December Full Moon Names From Native American Tribes Kaitvitjuitk (Inuit). Cold Moon (Celtic). Night Moon (Taos). Respect Moon (Hopi). Bitter Moon (Chinese). Peach Moon (Choctaw). Twelfth Moon (Dakotah). Big Winter Moon (Creek) Real Goose Moon (Kiowa). Cold Time Moon (Mohawk). Ashes Fire Moon (San Juan). Oak Moon (Medieval English). Big Bear’s Moon (Winnebago). Long Night Moon (Neo-Pagan). Popping Trees Moon (Arapaho). Running Wolves Moon (Cheyenne). Frost Fish Moon (Passamaquoddy). Cold Moon, Long Nights Moon (Algonquin). Snow Moon, Before Yule Moon (Cherokee). Oak Moon : Full, : Snow Moon Dark (Janic). Popping Tress Moon, Deer Horn Shedding Moon (Sioux).

Other moon names : Wolf Moon, Turning Moon, Heavy Snow Moon, Aerra Geola, Under Burn Moon, Big Winter Moon, Winter Maker Moon, Yellow Leaves Moon, Little Finger Moon, Mid-Winter Moon, Wintermonat, Small Spirits Moon.

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