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Super Snow Moon: What you need to know to see Tuesday's lunar spectacle

Tuesday's Super Snow Moon will be the second of three projected supermoons in 2019, with the third coming in March.
 
WILL VRAGOVIC   |   Times
The "Supermoon," visible from downtown St. Petersburg on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015. A supermoon occurs when a new or full moon is at its closest to the Earth
WILL VRAGOVIC | Times The "Supermoon," visible from downtown St. Petersburg on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015. A supermoon occurs when a new or full moon is at its closest to the Earth
Published Feb. 18, 2019

With January came the rare phenomenon that was a Super Blood Wolf Moon, and now February is set to deliver a treat in the form of another supermoon.

Though not as rare as January's, viewers Tuesday night will be able to take in a full moon that will appear larger and more brilliant in the sky, NASA says, producing what's known as a Super Snow Moon.

January's supermoon was a popular talking point because of its visual similarities to that of a total lunar eclipse, which turned the moon an eerie shade of red. February's offering will be slightly less exciting — it will remain its standard white color — but will still give good reason to look up. The moon's diameter will appear to be about 14 percent greater than an average full moon, while its brightness is expected to be near 30 percent more than usual.

The moon will technically reach peak fullness Tuesday morning around 10:54 a.m., but won't be visible to Floridians at that time. Instead, viewers will have to wait until moonrise, which will occur at 6:39 p.m. in Tampa, according to timeanddate.com. Since an optical illusion causes the moon to appear larger to us the closer it is to the horizon, moonrise will likely be the best time to snap a picture.

"When the moon is near the horizon, it can look unnaturally large when viewed through trees, buildings, or other foreground objects," NASA wrote in a blog post. "The effect is an optical illusion, but that fact doesn't take away from the experience."

Tuesday's Super Snow Moon will be the second of three projected supermoons in 2019, with the third coming in March.

Contact Josh Fiallo at jfiallo@tampabay.com. Follow @ByJoshFiallo.