We welcome February with a shiny full Snow Moon

We welcome February with the full moon! Indeed, on the first day of the month, the snow moon will shine in the sky, which we can hopefully admire under cloudless skies. Please mark February 1 in your calendar and be sure to not to miss it!

Why a 'snow' moon?

The February full moon was called a snow moon by the indigenous peoples of North America because the second month of the year was the snowiest in what is now the United States. The ancient tribes actually gave this moon its name when they saw trees cracking and breaking due to freezing temperatures, as well as people having to sit shoulder to shoulder around the fire to warm themselves up. For similar reasons, the Celts called this moon the Ice Moon, as well as the Bone Moon.

Yet not all cultures associate the February full moon with extreme cold and death: for the Hopi tribe, in fact, it's the Moon of Cleansing and the Moon of Renewal, while the ancient Chinese called it the Awakening Moon.

How and when to admire the 2026 Snow Moon

The moon reaches its full phase again on February 1, 2026 at 11:09pm Dutch and Belgian time, but it will already above the horizon after sunset. So, if the weather cooperates, we will be able to admire the Snow Moon throughout the night. This was reported by Stellarium.

Not to be missed!

(MP/©Moongiant via GreenMe.it/translation and adaptation: The Global Nature/Illustration: Unsplash)