The second full moon of 2024, the Snow Moon of February, wowed skywatchers around the world with a dazzling display last night. February's full moon rose on Wednesday (Feb. 12) and remained high in the sky for most of the night before finally setting with the morning sun.

A full moon happens when the moon is directly opposite the sun from our perspective on Earth, fully illuminated by sunlight. While most full moons are completely lit up, sometimes

The full moon in February was dubbed the snow moon due to the heavy snowfall typically seen this time of year, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, which first began publishing names for full moons in the 1930s.

There will also be two total lunar eclipses that occur during the March and September full moon events. A lunar eclipse, which causes the moon to look dark or dimmed, occurs when Earth is between the sun and moon and the three celestial objects line up in a row so that the moon passes into our planet’s shadow.

The second full moon of the year − appropriately called the snow moon − will reach its peak Wednesday evening.

March's full moon, also known as the worm moon, will take place on Friday, March 14 and will reach peak illumination by 1:55 a.m. local time, according to the Farmer's Almanac. Here's a look at the remaining full moons of 2025.

Unsurprisingly, the name of February's full moon became known as the snow moon since it rises in one of the snowiest months, on average, in the United States. Because bad weather and heavy snows made hunting difficult, the moon has also been called the hunger moon, according to NASA.

Atlantic, snow storms will prevent many stargazers from catching the Snow Moon. Talk about irony. In the Northern Hemisphere, February is the middle of winter. According to NASA, this is why Native American tribes named this month’s full moon the Snow Moon.