20 Absolutely Stunning Pics of the 2019 Super Snow Moon

If you were too busy binging Russian Doll last night, then you might have missed a massive celestial wonder: a second 2019 super moon! The super snow moon — aptly named because February is one of the snowiest months of the year — lit up the night sky and made for a truly photo-worthy moment. In fact, compared to January's super blood wolf moon (which was totally a real thing, BTW), last night's moon was an entire 362 miles closer to Earth, according to NASA. So, whether you missed out on this lunar spectacular or you want to relive the moment, check out these gorgeous, professional photos of the super snow moon from Italy to France to New York City.

So what's so special about super moons? Well, last night's moon was something to get excited about because it was at its biggest and brightest, appearing almost 14 percent larger and nearly 30 percent brighter than a typical full moon. As explained by NASA astronomer Mitzi Adams, super moons appear largest as they are rising and setting due to an optical illusion known as the "Moon Illusion." This occurs when everyday objects like trees and buildings are near the moon, and our minds trick us into thinking the moon is closer because of its proximity to the objects in our line of sight. So the moon wasn't actually further away when it was right above you, but it definitely looked a lot more like a super moon if you managed to pull out your phone to snap a pic just as it was rising into the sky.

And, if you missed out on last night's snow moon, don't worry; a third super moon is expected to make an appearance in March 2019!