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.

The moon reached its peak brightness at 8:53 a.m. EST (1353 GMT) on Feb. 12, but local moonrise and moonset times will depend on your location. As the February full moon rises, Mars will remain high in the sky to the upper right of the moon, creating a delightful skywatching scene.

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 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.

The snow moon will reach peak illumination on Feb. 12 at 6:53 a.m. ET/7:53 a.m. CT. Other names linked to February's full moon include the Hungry Moon due to the scarce food sources and difficult hunting conditions during mid-winter, Time and Date reported, and the Bear Moon, referring to bear cubs being born this time of year.

The snow moon will reach its peak at 6:53 a.m. MT/7:53 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, though the moon will appear full tonight and on Thursday evening.

February's full moon is upon us! Taking place in fire sign of Leo, this lunation brings a fierce energy, pushing us to walk to the beat of our own drums. February's full moon is nicknamed the Snow Moon, which received its name from the heavy snowfall in much of North America during this time.