Snow Moon recap

The most recent full moon occurred on Wednesday morning, February 12, 2025, appearing opposite the Sun (in Earth longitude) at 8:53 a.m. EST. The Moon appeared full for about three days around this time, from Monday night into early Thursday evening. The bright star Regulus was visible near the full moon.

Snow Moon recap and the upcoming Lunar Eclipse in March

The Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s, and these names have since become widely recognized and used. According to this almanac, the full moon in February was called the Snow Moon or the Storm Moon by the tribes of the northeastern United States due to the heavy snowfall during this season. Harsh weather and heavy snowstorms made hunting difficult, which led to this Moon also being referred to as the Hunger Moon. NOAA’s monthly averages for Washington, D.C.-area airports from 1991 to 2020 showed that January and February were nearly tied as the snowiest months of the year, with February leading by one-tenth of an inch.

A full moon hike at Bryce Canyon National Park

Image credit: National Park Service

As winter continued in the Northern Hemisphere, the daily periods of sunlight began to lengthen. On Wednesday, February 12 (the day of the full moon), morning twilight began at 6:04 a.m. EST, sunrise was at 7:03 a.m., solar noon occurred at 12:23 p.m. when the Sun reached its maximum altitude of 37.7 degrees, sunset was at 5:43 p.m., and evening twilight ended at 6:41 p.m.

Daylight Saving Time began on the second Sunday in March for much of the United States. On the preceding day, Saturday, March 8, morning twilight began at 5:32 a.m., sunrise was at 6:30 a.m., solar noon occurred at 12:19 p.m. when the Sun reached its maximum altitude of 46.5 degrees, sunset was at 6:08 p.m., and evening twilight ended at 7:06 p.m. Early on Sunday morning, March 9, clocks sprang forward from 1:59:59 a.m. EST to 3:00:00 a.m. EDT. On Sunday, March 9, morning twilight began at 6:30 a.m., sunrise was at 7:28 a.m., solar noon occurred at 1:19 p.m. when the Sun reached its maximum altitude of 46.9 degrees, sunset was at 7:09 p.m., and evening twilight ended at 8:07 p.m. By Friday, March 14 (the day of the full moon after next), morning twilight began at 6:23 a.m., sunrise was at 7:20 a.m., solar noon occurred at 1:17 p.m. when the Sun reached its maximum altitude of 48.9 degrees, sunset was at 7:14 p.m., and evening twilight ended at 8:12 p.m.

Sky chart showing Jupiter and Mars high overhead after nightfall in February

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Planetary Observations

This period offered a good opportunity for planet watching, particularly with a backyard telescope. On the evening of March 14, the full moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, and Uranus were all present in the evening sky. Venus, the brightest of the planets, was 28 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon, appearing as a 29% illuminated crescent through a telescope. The second-brightest planet, Jupiter, was 71 degrees above the south-southeastern horizon. With a telescope, Jupiter’s four bright moons, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io, were visible, shifting positions over the course of the evening. Jupiter had been at its closest and brightest in early December. Mars, the third-brightest planet, was 48 degrees above the eastern horizon. Mars had been at its closest and brightest just one month earlier. Saturn, appearing below Venus, was 11 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. A telescope allowed for the observation of Saturn’s rings and its bright moon Titan. The rings appeared very thin and edge-on to Earth in March 2025. Saturn had been at its closest and brightest in early September. The planet Uranus was too dim to see without a telescope when the Moon was in the sky, but later in the lunar cycle, under dark conditions with clear skies, it remained brighter than the faintest visible stars. Uranus had been at its closest and brightest in mid-November.

During this lunar cycle, these planets, along with the background of stars, rotated westward by about one degree each night around the pole star, Polaris. Venus, named after the Roman goddess of love, reached its brightest around February 14, coinciding with Valentine’s Day. After about February 17, the planet Mercury, which shone brighter than Mars, began emerging from the glow of dusk about 30 minutes after sunset. February 24 marked the first evening Mercury was visible above the western horizon as twilight ended, while February 25 was the last evening Saturn was above the western horizon as twilight ended, making these the only two evenings when all visible planets were in the sky after twilight ended. For a few more evenings after this, Saturn remained visible in the glow of dusk during twilight. Around March 8 or 9, Mercury dimmed to match the brightness of Mars, making Mars the third-brightest visible planet again. By the evening of March 13 (the evening of the full moon after next), as twilight ended, Venus and Mercury appeared low on the western horizon, making them difficult targets for a backyard telescope, while Jupiter and Mars (along with Uranus) were high overhead and much easier to observe.

Comets and Meteor Showers

No meteor shower peaks were predicted during this lunar cycle. No comets were expected to be visible without a telescope for Northern Hemisphere observers. However, Southern Hemisphere viewers may have been able to see comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) using a telescope, although it was fading as it moved away from Earth and the Sun. Recent reports indicated that the comet might have been breaking apart and disappearing from view.

Total Lunar Eclipse

As the Moon passed opposite the Sun on March 14, it moved through Earth’s shadow, resulting in a total lunar eclipse. The Moon began entering the partial shadow on Thursday night at 11:57 p.m., though the gradual dimming was not noticeable until it started to enter the full shadow at 1:09 a.m. The round shadow of Earth shifted across the face of the Moon from the lower left to the upper right until it was fully shaded at 2:26 a.m.

The total eclipse lasted for about 65 minutes, reaching its maximum at 2:59 a.m. and ending at 3:31 a.m. Even when fully in shadow, the Moon remained visible, taking on a reddish-brown hue due to the scattering of sunlight through Earth's atmosphere, a phenomenon sometimes called a "blood moon." From 3:31 until 4:48 a.m., the Moon exited Earth's full shadow, with its round shadow shifting from the upper left to the lower right. The eclipse concluded when the Moon fully left the partial shadow at 6:00 a.m.

This lunar cycle provided numerous opportunities for skywatchers to observe bright planets, constellations, and a total lunar eclipse, making it an exciting period for astronomy enthusiasts.