February full moon 2025: See Mars disappear behind the Snow Moon

A pale rosy orange moon hangs in a hazy blue sky on the left above the blurred silhouette of a long city skyline on the horizon of an agitated sea. on the right, lower than the moon, a seagull glides, wings curved down like an arch.

The full moon of February, known as the Snow Moon, will reach peak illumination in the eastern U.S. at 8:53 a.m. EST (1353 GMT) on Feb. 12, three days after it occults Mars.

The full moon occurs when the moon is directly opposite the sun from Earth's perspective. Most of the time, it is fully illuminated by sunlight. Occasionally, the moon's orbit carries it into Earth's shadow, causing a lunar eclipse. However, February's full moon will bypass Earth's shadow because the moon's orbit is tilted about five degrees relative to Earth's orbital plane, preventing perfect alignment between the sun, Earth, and moon.