Photographer captures stunning image of Snow Moon setting beyond Blackpool Tower

The results were spectacular, with Blackpool photographer Stephen Cheatley capturing a striking picture of the full moon rising behind Blackpool Tower yesterday morning (February 26).

His incredible photography has taken him on journeys around the world and even earned him a coveted global award.

It was his astonishing lightning shot, taken from South Pier in July 2015 after a heatwave triggered spectacular storms on the Fylde coast, that won him the title of Royal Meteorological Society Weather Photographer of the Year.

You can watch how Stephen took this amazing picture of the Snow Moon, and view many more of his adventures, by visiting his YouTube channel HERE.

What is a Snow Moon?

The majority of pre-modern calendars used the moon as the basis for the names of their months, a convention ended by the introduction of the solar Julian and Gregorian calendars.

In modern times, the moons have developed new names, the majority of which have roots attributed to Native American traditions. They tend to hold particular resonance with the time of year in which they fall, and have gained ground in American folklore in recent years.

It’s thought these names are "Colonial American", and were adopted from the Algonquian languages of the native peoples who lived in the area of the country, which is now New England.

The name 'Snow Moon' is applied to the full moon of February, simply because that is the month in which the seasonal weather is most common.

It is also known as a 'hunger moon' or 'storm moon' reflected again by the traits of the long, cold, stormy winter months.

Will it look any different?

The moon will not appear any different to how it normally does when it’s in its full phase.

The name ‘Snow’ simply derives from the time of year and has no bearing on what the lunar body will actually look like in our sky.

You can find out more about the Snow Moon by clicking HERE.

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