Snow Moon to be seen in night’s sky this week - when is it and where does it get its name?

While most of us will be starting to look forward to spring and the warmer months - the planets have other ideas. The final full moon of the meteorological calendar - the Snow Moon - will be visible in night skies across the UK this week. Stargazers will be treated to the sight as the Moon rises at around 5pm on Wednesday evening (February 12) - providing cloud cover is not too thick.

However, forecasters are not overly confident the skies will be astronomically accommodating, with the weather set to be dry and cloudy throughout the day. The south west looks to have the best chance of getting a good view of the full Moon.

The full Moon occurs when it is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, but in perfect synergy, meaning the whole of the Moon is reflected by the star. All full Moon events have a name, usually pertaining to the season when they occur, as in centuries gone by, they were used as a rudimentary calendar, dictating the best times for harvesting, hunting and more.

February's full Moon is the Snow Moon, although it is also known by the Hungry Moon and Storm Moon monikers.

Six planets align

Elsewhere in the night sky this month, keen starwatchers will be able to see another pretty special celestial phenomenon - as six planets align in view.

The planets - including Saturn, Jupiter and Venus, line-up throughout February, and are visible to the naked eye on a clear night, appearing as bright white points of light.

Mars, true to form, is a more orange-tinged dot. Uranus and Neptune will also be part of the line-up but are not clear to the naked eye, so if you can, grab a telescope. Mercury will be late to the party, appearing towards the end of the month.

But make the most of any clear skies, as the group will not be this close again until 2040, according to experts.