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

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When and where to look in 2026: Look for the bright, round full moon climbing up in the eastern sky as the evening twilight darkens on February 1. The moon will glow high in the south near midnight, and it’ll drop low in the west before sunrise on February 2. Also, the moon will appear full and round in the evenings before and after the full moon.

Crest of the full moon falls at 22:09 UTC on February 1. That’s 4:09 p.m. CST, not far from sunset for those in central North America.

Fun fact about full moons: At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle. And the moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. That is why the moon appears full. In other words, a full moon always lies on the opposite side of the sky from the sun. So on the night of full moon, the moon and sun in our sky behave as if they’re on two ends of a seesaw: the sun goes down, and the moon comes up. Around midnight, when the sun is below your feet, you’ll find the moon at its highest in the sky. Finally, all full moons set along the western horizon close to the time of sunrise.

It’s the Snow Moon

All the full moons have names. Often derived from North America’s indigenous people, popular names for February’s full moon include the Hunger Moon and the Boney Moon, but the name Snow Moon is the most common. As you might expect, the name Snow Moon recognizes the snow cover in much of the mid-to-upper latitudes of North America. And this was a time of want and hardship, as spring growth and the abundance of wildlife have yet to come.

February full moon near Regulus

The February full moon appears in the sky near Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. This year, Western Hemisphere skywatchers will see Regulus rise in the east some 90 minutes behind the moon.

For a better view of Regulus in the moonlight, block the moon with your hand, or position yourself so that a foreground object such as a tree branch or utility pole blocks the moon.

February full moon in Cancer

The February full moon can lie in front of one of three constellations. Two of them are constellations of the zodiac. Most years – but not this year – the full moon sits in front of Leo the Lion. But it can also fall in front of Cancer the Crab, which is the constellation immediately west of Leo. In 2026, when the crest of the full moon occurs, the moon can be found in eastern Cancer.

Infrequently, the full moon falls when the moon lies in front of Sextans the Sextant, an obscure constellation south of Leo. This happens next in 2032.

Occasionally – because the time from full moon to full moon is 29 1/2 days and February has either 28 or 29 days – no full moon falls in February. The last time was 2018. And it’ll happen again in 2037.

Bottom line: The full Snow Moon will shine brightly all night on February 1-2, 2026. It’ll glow near the star Regulus in Leo the Lion.