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Editors of EarthSky

Full moon names of the month and by the season

Lists of common full moon names - both by month and by season - for North America. And a word about full moon names in the Southern Hemisphere.

Happy Groundhog Day! Will Phil see his shadow?

The predicted high for Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on February 2, Groundhog Day, is 24 degrees F (-4 C) and cloudy. Will Phil see his shadow?

The February birthstone is the purple amethyst

Are you a February baby? Here's some cool info about your February birthstone, the amethyst. Read the lore of this purple stone, a variety of quartz.

Watch for the February full moon – or Snow Moon – on February 1

The full Snow Moon will shine brightly all night on February 1-2, 2026. This February full moon will glow near the star Regulus in Leo the Lion.

Betelgeuse will explode someday, but WHEN?

Will Betelgeuse have another period of noticeable dimming? Betelgeuse will explode as a supernova someday. When it does, it'll be visible in daylight.
Astronomy Essentials

Venus in the daytime: Best ways to see it

You can spot Venus in the daytime. One of the best ways is when its near the moon. Here are the tips to help you spot the brilliant planet Venus in daylight.

Voyager 2 met Uranus 40 years ago

Voyager 2 met Uranus on January 24, 1986. The spacecraft sent data that revealed 2 new rings, 10 new moons, radiation belts, and a very unusual magnetic field.

Which Milky Way spiral arm contains our sun?

Where do we live in the Milky Way galaxy? We lie between the major arms in a smaller spiral arm known as the Orion Arm. See diagrams here.

Contemplate the apex of the sun in January

Apex of the sun shows the direction our solar system moves through space, toward the bright star Vega in the January night sky.

See Mira the Wonderful waking up!

Catch elusive wonderful Mira, a famous variable star in the constellation Cetus, at its maximum brightness in February or March 2026.

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