Topline
The final weekend of January and the first night of February deliver some standout skywatching events. A nearly full moon glides past dazzling Jupiter in the constellation Gemini on Friday, and on Sunday, February’s aptly-named snow moon rises. Add bright winter constellations and a changing sky — and perhaps even some northern lights — and this weekend offers one of winter’s most engaging naked-eye displays.
Timeline
Just after dark, the almost-full moon and Jupiter will rise in the east about four degrees apart in Gemini, forming a loose rectangle with “The Twins,” Castor and Pollux.
The waxing gibbous near-full moon will be about 99%-lit and rise in late afternoon, visible against a still-blue sky before flooding the night with light after sunset.
The full snow moon becomes full at 12:09 p.m. EST and rises around dusk, glowing low in the east-northeast with Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, just below it. To find the best time to see it appear from where you are, consult a moonrise calculator.
The Next Full Moon Is A ‘blood Moon’
March 3 will see the next full moon — the worm moon — move through Earth’s dark umbral shadow in space, turning a dramatic reddish-orange as thousands of sunsets are projected onto its surface. Visible before dawn across the U.S., this relatively shallow eclipse will turn the moon a reddish color for 58 minutes and be the last total lunar eclipse “blood moon” visible until 2029. Western North America will get the best views.
The Coming Solar Eclipses
On February 17, Chinese New Year begins with a “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse, with the similarly lunar-defined Ramadan close behind. Sadly, the eclipse will only be seen as a ring from Antarctica. You’ll need to travel to the opposite ends of eastern Greenland, western Iceland or northern Spain to see the following solar eclipse, a rare total solar eclipse, on August 12. The first since the “Great North American Eclipse” on April 8, 2024, the sky will go dark during the day for over two minutes. During the darkness, the sun’s spectacular outer atmosphere, its corona, will appear to the naked eye in one of nature’s greatest sights. Later that night, the annual Perseid meteor shower will peak. It’s now under 200 days.
Constellation Of The Week: Taurus
After dark, look toward the southeast to find Taurus, one of the oldest and most recognizable constellations in the night sky. Your eye will be drawn first to Aldebaran, a bright orange star marking the Bull’s fiery eye. Around it is a loose V-shaped pattern of stars — the Hyades open cluster — which outlines the Bull’s face. Aldebaran itself sits in the foreground, appearing as a glowing eye over the Bull’s head. Once you spot the V, note its neighbors: the delicate Pleiades open cluster above and the unmistakable Orion’s Belt stars shining below.
The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult Stellarium and other online planetariums. Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.
Further Reading
2026 Will Bring A ‘Blood Moon,’ ‘Ring Of Fire’ And Total Solar Eclipse
Your Full Moon Guide For 2026 — All 13 Dates For Your Diary
A Star Could Suddenly Explode In 150 Days — Here’s Where To Look