If January’s Cold Moon succeeded in reminding us of what season we’re in, February’s upcoming full moon has another apt moniker: Snow Moon.
The second full moon of 2025, the Snow Moon occurs on Feb. 12 at exactly 8:53 a.m. EST.
Why does the moon turn full? It’s because it reaches the point along its orbit most directly opposite the sun from Earth, meaning the greatest possible area of sun-exposed lunar surface is visible from Earth—the moon appears its “fullest.” The moment of peak fullness is just a sliver of an instant that occurs irrespective of what time zone you’re in. So, the moon can reach technical fullness at dawn, as it will for North American observers on Feb. 12, midday, or anytime….