EYES TO THE SKIES FOR FEBRUARY’S FULL MOON - THE “SNOW” MOON!💖🌕🔭✨️ - 01/02/2026
Tonight, on the evening of the 1st (weather permitting) we will hopefully be treated to views of February’s beautiful full moon which is known to some as the “Snow” Moon.
Although the full Moon may not always be the astrophotographer's best of friends, the full Moon always makes for a beautiful sight in the night sky and is an important marker of the seasons for many people.
If you would like to know more about this month’s full moon, plus when and where to see the Snow Moon, please read on…
WHAT IS A FULL MOON?
A full Moon occurs when the Moon’s position in its orbit around Earth, is at its furthest distance from the Sun (almost on the opposite side of the Earth compared to the Sun). This event, when the Earth stands almost directly between the Sun and Moon is also known as a Syzygy. When this happens, the side of the Moon that can be seen from Earth is completely illuminated, giving it the appearance of being full.
On rare occasions the Earth can stand directly in between the Sun and Moon resulting in a lunar eclipse.
FULL MOON NAMES
The full moon of each month has been given names by many cultures and peoples throughout history. The most commonly known full moon names are derived from Native American tribes. The Native American tribes gave distinctions to moons based on the time of year and the weather’s relationships to crop harvests and appearance of certain animals or animal behaviours.
THE "SNOW" MOON
February often marks a time when the harsh weather of winter hits at its hardest. Many of the names associated with this full moon are related to low temperatures, the most common name being 'The Snow Moon' as named by early Native American Tribes. So called because of the typically high rate of snowfall during this month, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Celtics have also historically referred to February’s full moon in a similar vein, however the Celts choose to name it ‘The Ice Moon’. It is also sometime referred to as the storm moon.
OTHER ALTERNATIVE FEBRUARY MOON NAMES
Some tribes such as the Cherokee tribes also traditionally referred to February’s full moon as the Hunger Moon, Little Famine Moon and Month of the Bony Moon because it was difficult to hunt under the harsh winter conditions, therefore food was hard to come by at this time, often leaving people gnawing on bones and eating bone marrow soup to get by.
Other names for this month’s full Moon have historically had a connection to animals. The Cree traditionally called this the Bald Eagle Moon or Eagle Moon. The Ojibwe Bear Moon and Tlingit Black Bear Moon refer to the time when bear cubs are born. The Dakota also calls this the Raccoon Moon, certain Algonquin peoples named it the Groundhog Moon, the Haida named it Goose Moon and those in the Southern Hemisphere often refer to it as the Dog moon.
The full moon in February is also known as the Grain moon, Barley Moon, Candles Moon and Red Moon to those in the Southern Hemisphere.
WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE FULL MOON OCCUR?
This month, the Moon will reach peak illumination around 21:00 GMT on the night of the 1st of February.
The Moon will rise in the early evening of the 1st at around 16:01 GMT towards the North-East. As the night progresses the Moon will climb in the sky travelling Southwards. The Moon will reach an altitude of 53 degrees at its highest point in the sky at roughly 00:23 GMT on the morning of the 2nd towards the South. Following this, the Moon will begin to descend travelling towards the North-West where it will set in the morning skies at around 08:18 GMT.
Remember that you don’t really need to know the exact time of peak illumination to enjoy viewing the full Moon, as the Moon will appear full throughout the night and on the nights surrounding the peak.
WHERE AMONG THE STARS CAN THE MOON BE FOUND?
On the night of the 1st our natural satellite will be hitching a ride in the zodiacal constellation of Cancer – the crab.
More specifically, the Moon can be found nearby to the star cluster known as the Beehive Cluster which is located in the very centre of the constellation Cancer.
The zodiacal constellation of Cancer can be found in between the constellations of Gemini and Leo.
LUNAR OBSERVATION
The great thing about observing the Moon is that you don’t have to go and find a particularly dark location to view it. As the Moon is such a bright object in the sky, you can view it from brighter locations, even from the centre of a heavily light polluted city. Weather permitting of course.
MOON RISE/SET – MOON ILLUSION
It's always lovely to watch the moon rise/set, so if you can head out to witness the Moon rise or set, please do. Every time the Moon rises and sets it takes on a beautiful golden, amber colour and appears larger at this time too, due to an optical illusion known as the ‘Moon illusion’. It's truly special to witness. As it rises and glides higher, it’s colour will transition into a bright white.
Sometimes the Moon can appear even more orangey red than usual too! The hue of the moon typically depends on atmospheric conditions wherever you’re viewing it from. Things like clouds, dust, haze, smoke or pollution can cause the moon to appear different colours by scattering much of the blue light shining onto our natural satellite, leaving it with a more reddish tone.
WHAT ELSE IS IN THE NIGHT SKY THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY?
If you would like to know more about the rest of the celestial treats that can be seen in the skies throughout February, please head to our YouTube channel to watch our Night Sky Guide video for February 2026.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND PHOTOGRAPHS!
We always love hearing about your celestial adventures and seeing your photographs! If you head out to witness or capture photos of this special celestial event or any other sights in the night sky, please feel free to share your stories and photos in the comments below. 😊
GOOD LUCK AND CLEAR SKIES
This month’s full Moon will be a beautiful sight, and if you can, we recommend heading out to witness this February’s full Moon!
Good luck if you head out folks. Wrap up warm if you do. Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Clear skies 💖
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