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February full moon is the Snow Moon today!

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February 12, 2025

February full moon: Chart showing a white disk as the full moon next to a white dot representing the star Regulus. — The February full moon will occur on the night of February 12. It will glow next to the brightest star in Leo the Lion, Regulus. The moon’s bright glow will make Regulus hard to spot.

When and where to look in 2025: Look for the bright, round full moon climbing in the east shortly after sunset as the twilight darkens on February 12. It glows high in the south near midnight, and drops low in the west shortly before sunrise on February 13. Also, it appears full the evenings before and after the full moon.

Crest of the full moon falls at 13:53 UTC on February 12. That’s 7:53 a.m. CST, which is near sunrise on February 12. So, it will appear fullest when it is low in the west shortly before sunrise as viewed in the central United States.

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Chart showing, all in a row, a large starred dot for the sun, a blue dot for Earth, and a small white dot for the moon. — At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon align in space, with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us.

The full moon always lies on the opposite side of the sky as the sun. Consequently, it is visible all night. All full moons rise along the eastern horizon close to the time of sunset. Likewise, all full moons set along the western horizon close to the time of sunrise. At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle. And also, the moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. That is why the moon appears full.

The full moon lies near Regulus

The February full moon will be near the brightest star in Leo the Lion, Regulus. This year, Western Hemisphere observers will see Regulus shining close to the moon as it rises in the darkening eastern sky after sunset. As midnight approaches, the couple will be noticeably farther from the horizon.

Because of the substantial amount of glare created by the brightly lit moon, Regulus might be challenging to spot. For an easier view of the star, 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. Then the star will pop into view!

It’s the Snow Moon

All the full moons have nicknames. 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 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.

Chart showing an arrow passing a blue dot for Earth passing a smaller white dot for the moon projected in the direction of a white dot for Regulus and the moon. — The February 2025 full moon occurs on the overnight of February 12 and appears next to the bright star Regulus.

February full moon in Leo

The February full moon can lie in front of one of three constellations. Two of them are constellations of the zodiac. One is not. Most years – as in this year – the full moon lies in front of Leo the Lion. But it can also lie in front of Cancer the Crab, which is west of Leo; this will be the case next year. Infrequently, the full moon falls when the moon lies in front of Sextans the Sextant, an obscure constellation south of Leo.

Occasionally – because it is such a short month – we don’t have a full moon at all in February. That happened last in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2027.

Bottom line: The full Snow Moon will shine brightly all night on February 12, 2025. It will glow near the bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion.

John Jardine Goss

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About the Author:

“I can sometimes see the moon in the daytime” was a cosmic revelation that John Jardine Goss first discovered through personal observations at age 6. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 24,000 members. He's earned the title of Master Observer and is a regular contributor to the video series, “Global Star Party.” He has authored the celestial observing guides “Exploring the Starry Realm,” and “Carpe Lunam,” and “Take Your First Steps, an Introduction to Amateur Astronomy.” John also wrote for twenty years the monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and currently writes a bimonthly column, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Country magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer’s Handbook.

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