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Planet party and snow moon to shine over California: When to watch the sky
Californians watching the sky in February have the chance to view a parade of planets and a snow moon. The planetary alignment that began in January will continue into February, according to AccuWeather.
Stargazers can also glimpse a full moon and a bright Venus during cloudless nights in the middle of the month.
Here's what to know about the upcoming astronomy events:
How to see six planets and crescent moon
Once the sun goes down on Monday, Feb. 3, six planets and the moon will line up across the California night sky.
Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, while Neptune and Uranus can be spotted with the help of a telescope, AccuWeather said.
The crescent moon will appear in the middle of the planet parade on Monday.
The moon will drift by Jupiter on Thursday, Feb. 6, and meet up with Mars on Sunday, Feb. 9, the weather site reported.
NASA said planets always appear in a line in the night sky.
The astronomical alignment is technically called the ecliptic, which represents the plane of the solar system where planets orbit around the sun, according to NASA.
"What's less common is seeing four or five bright planets at once, which doesn't happen every year," NASA spokesman Preston Dyches said.
"Is it a planet parade?" he added. "This isn't a technical term in astronomy, so call it what you wish!"
What's the best time to see the full moon in California?
The second full moon of 2025 will reach peak illumination at 5:53 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, in California, according to Time and Date, an online calendar.
February's full moon will be below the horizon at full illumination.
Amateur astronomers will have a better chance of glimpsing the bright moon the night of Tuesday, Feb. 11, or later the following morning, the Old Farmer's Almanac said on its website.
The full moon is set to move above the horizon in the east around sunset and reach its apex around midnight.
Why is February's full moon called the snow moon?
The full moon in February is named the snow moon due to the heavy snowfall that typically occurs at this time of year, according to the Almanac.
February is the snowiest month of the year in several parts of the United States, including the Northeast, the Plains and the West, The Weather Channel reported.
While meeting with Naudowessie chiefs in the 1760s, Capt. Jonathan Carver wrote that the moon was named after February blizzards "because more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter."
Other names for the full moon in February include the eagle moon, the black bear moon, the groundhog moon and the hungry moon, according to the Old Farmers' Almanac.
When to watch Venus at its brightest
The second planet from the sun will be at its brightest near Valentine's Day in 2025, the Almanac said.
Stargazers can glimpse Venus at its greatest brightness on Sunday, Feb. 16.
That night, Californians should look west during twilight hours to see the planet shine in the darkening sky.
On that evening, only the moon will appear brighter in the night sky, according to the Almanac.
2025 The Sacramento Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
