The full moon in February called the Snow Moon, will be visible just after sunset tonight (February 26).

The name, used by The Old Farmer's Almanac comes from a variety of places such as Native American, Colonial American, and European sources.

The moon became known as the Snow Moon as result of the larger amount of snow fall in February compared to other months.

Other historical names for February's moon make connections to animals and the lack of resources available this time of year.

The Snow Moon was called the Bald Eagle Moon by the Cree. The Tlingit called it Black Bear Moon and the Ojibwe the Bear Moon in a reference to bear cubs starting to be born.

The Cherokee gave it the names Bony Moon and Hungry Moon because food was so scarce and the weather in February made hunting and trapping very difficult. 

The moon will appear full for about three nights reaching peak illumination around 2:00 am on Saturday (February 27). For the best view of the Snow Moon, look to the Northeast around 6:00 pm tonight.