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.
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 moon is in its orbit around Earth, 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 moon will be noticeably farther from the moon, and, by sunrise, even more so.
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.
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 glows near the bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion.
Read more: Full moon names for 2025
The post February full moon is the Snow Moon on February 12 first appeared on EarthSky.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/aR2nMIr
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.
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 moon is in its orbit around Earth, 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 moon will be noticeably farther from the moon, and, by sunrise, even more so.
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.
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 glows near the bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion.
Read more: Full moon names for 2025
The post February full moon is the Snow Moon on February 12 first appeared on EarthSky.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/aR2nMIr
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