Overview
- The February full moon reached maximum at 5:09 p.m. ET (22:09 UTC) on Feb. 1 and was easily visible to the naked eye with no safety risk, per observatory and university guidance.
- Viewers had bright looks Sunday night, with the moon appearing full the night before and after as weather allowed across different regions.
- Reports differed on whether the moon was in Cancer or Leo due to reference frames and time conversions, a technical inconsistency that did not affect viewing.
- The Snow Moon name comes from North American traditions linking February to heavy snowfall and seasonal scarcity, as noted by almanacs and cultural sources.
- What’s next: an annular “ring of fire” solar eclipse on Feb. 17 (annularity over Antarctica, partial in southern South America and parts of Africa), a six‑planet alignment on Feb. 28, and a March 3 total lunar eclipse visible in the Americas.