2026 Full Moon Calendar: Dates, Phases, Eclipses and Sky Highlights

Jan 30•7 min read

Note: Moon phases in the calendar vary in size due to the distance from Earth and are shown at 0h Universal Time. Credit: Astronomy: Roen Kelly

The Full Moon occurs when Earth sits between the Sun and Moon, fully illuminating the Moon’s face. The next Full Moon — the Snow Moon — will be at 5:09 p.m. EST on Feb. 1, 2026. This guide lists every 2026 Full Moon with exact Eastern times, notes major events (a total lunar eclipse March 3; a partial lunar eclipse Aug. 28), and provides nightly rise/set details for late Jan–early Feb. It also explains traditional moon names and common terms like Super Moon and Blue Moon.

The Full Moon occurs when Earth lies nearly between the Sun and the Moon, so the lunar hemisphere facing us is fully illuminated by sunlight. As the Moon orbits Earth, the angle of sunlight striking and reflecting off the lunar surface changes, producing the familiar cycle of lunar phases.

Next Full Moon: The Snow Moon — 5:09 p.m. EST, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.

Full Moons in 2026 (All times Eastern; * = Super Moon)

Saturday, Jan. 3 — 5:03 a.m. — Wolf Moon*
Sunday, Feb. 1 — 5:09 p.m. — Snow Moon
Tuesday, March 3 — 6:38 a.m. — Worm Moon | Total lunar eclipse
Wednesday, April 1 — 10:12 p.m. — Pink Moon
Friday, May 1 — 1:23 p.m. — Flower Moon
Sunday, May 31 — 4:45 a.m. — Blue Moon
Monday, June 29 — 7:57 p.m. — Strawberry Moon
Wednesday, July 29 — 10:36 a.m. — Buck Moon
Friday, Aug. 28 — 12:19 a.m. — Sturgeon Moon | Partial lunar eclipse
Saturday, Sept. 26 — 12:49 p.m. — Corn Moon
Monday, Oct. 26 — 12:12 a.m. — Hunter’s Moon
Tuesday, Nov. 24 — 9:54 a.m. — Beaver Moon*
Wednesday, Dec. 23 — 8:28 p.m. — Cold Moon*

Sky Highlights: Late January — Early February

All rise/set times below are local times for the reference location 40° N, 90° W. Moon illumination percentages are given for 10:00 p.m. local time at that location. Unless noted, other times are Eastern.

Thursday, January 29

Perigee: The Moon reaches perigee (closest orbital point) at 4:46 p.m. EST, at a distance of 227,341 miles (365,870 km).

Sunrise: 7:11 A.M. Sunset: 5:16 P.M. Moonrise: 1:29 P.M. Moonset: 4:39 A.M. Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (90%)

Friday, January 30

The Moon passes about 4° north of Jupiter at ~9:00 p.m. EST. Both lie in central Gemini; the Moon will appear upper-left of Jupiter, with Castor and Pollux nearby.

Sunrise: 7:10 A.M. Sunset: 5:17 P.M. Moonrise: 2:39 P.M. Moonset: 5:41 A.M. Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (96%)

Saturday, January 31

Sunrise: 7:09 A.M. Sunset: 5:18 P.M. Moonrise: 3:56 P.M. Moonset: 6:31 A.M. Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (99%)

Sunday, February 1 — Full Moon (Snow Moon)

Full Moon at 5:09 p.m. EST. The February Full Moon is traditionally called the Snow Moon — also known in some sources as the Storm Moon or Hunger Moon.

At Full Moon the Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise, and its brightness washes out many faint stars. The Full Moon’s apparent magnitude is about −12.7 — more than 250,000 times brighter than Sirius (≈ −1.4). Viewing the Moon with binoculars or a small telescope is rewarding, but its brightness can be intense; a neutral-density filter or slightly dimmed optics help when using larger instruments.

Sunrise: 7:08 A.M. Sunset: 5:20 P.M. Moonrise: 5:13 P.M. Moonset: 7:11 A.M. Moon Phase: Full

A composite of each month’s Full Moon in 2020 and 2021. Credit: Soumyadeep Mukherjee

Monday, February 2

The waning gibbous Moon passes about 0.4° due north of Regulus (Leo) at 10:00 p.m. EST. Observers across much of the U.S. will see the Moon and Regulus rise in the east in the evening. Western Africa and large swaths of North America may witness an occultation (or grazing occultation) of Regulus by the Moon; in the U.S. the occultation window is roughly 8:40–10:05 p.m. EST. See In-The-Sky.org for maps and location-specific timing.

Sunrise: 7:07 A.M. Sunset: 5:21 P.M. Moonrise: 6:27 P.M. Moonset: 7:43 A.M. Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (98%)

Tuesday, February 3

Sunrise: 7:06 A.M. Sunset: 5:22 P.M. Moonrise: 7:37 P.M. Moonset: 8:08 A.M. Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (94%)

Wednesday, February 4

Sunrise: 7:05 A.M. Sunset: 5:23 P.M. Moonrise: 8:43 P.M. Moonset: 8:31 A.M. Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (88%)

Thursday, February 5

Sunrise: 7:04 A.M. Sunset: 5:24 P.M. Moonrise: 9:48 P.M. Moonset: 8:53 A.M. Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (81%)

Friday, February 6

Sunrise: 7:03 A.M. Sunset: 5:26 P.M. Moonrise: 10:51 P.M. Moonset: 9:14 A.M. Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (72%)

Saturday, February 7

Sunrise: 7:02 A.M. Sunset: 5:27 P.M. Moonrise: 11:55 P.M. Moonset: 9:37 A.M. Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (63%)

Moon Phases, Names and Terms

The eight principal lunar phases are New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter and Waning Crescent. The synodic (lunar) month — the interval from one Full Moon to the next — averages about 29.5 days.

Traditional North American Full Moon Names

Wolf Moon (January) — From wolf howls in winter.
Snow Moon (February) — Named for heavy winter snows.
Worm Moon (March) — As earthworms reappear when the ground thaws.
Pink Moon (April) — For pink wildflowers that bloom in spring.
Flower Moon (May) — Celebrating abundant blossoms.
Strawberry Moon (June) — Peak strawberry harvest.
Buck Moon (July) — New antler growth on bucks.
Sturgeon Moon (August) — Historically linked to sturgeon fishing season.
Corn Moon (September) — Corn-harvest timing.
Hunter’s Moon (October) — Associated with hunting season.
Beaver Moon (November) — When beavers prepare for winter.
Cold Moon (December) — Evokes deep winter cold.

Common Moon Terms

Super Moon: A Full Moon occurring near lunar perigee (the Moon’s closest orbital point), appearing slightly larger and brighter. Often labeled when within roughly 90% of the Moon’s closest distance.
Blue Moon: The second Full Moon in a calendar month that contains two Full Moons. Occurs roughly every 2.7 years; it does not imply a blue color.
Black Moon: An informal term with multiple definitions, commonly the third of four New Moons in a season or the second New Moon in a calendar month. As a New Moon, it is essentially invisible from Earth except during a total solar eclipse.
Harvest Moon: The Full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox, often rising near sunset and providing extended evening moonlight historically useful for harvest work.

Full Moon vs. New Moon And Tides

A Full Moon occurs when Earth is between the Sun and Moon and the lunar face is fully illuminated. A New Moon occurs when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun and the Earth-facing side is dark.

During both Full and New Moons the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned, producing stronger "spring tides" — higher high tides and lower low tides — due to the combined gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon.

Principal Lunar Phase Dates in 2026

Below are the New, First Quarter, Full and Last Quarter dates for 2026. All dates are local calendar dates; check local times if you need exact timing at your location.

Jan. 3 / Jan. 10 / Jan. 18 / Jan. 25
Feb. 1 / Feb. 9 / Feb. 17 / Feb. 24
March 3 / March 11 / March 18 / March 25
April 1 / April 10 / April 17 / April 23
May 1 / May 9 / May 16 / May 23
May 31 / June 8 / June 14 / June 21
June 29 / July 7 / July 14 / July 21
July 29 / Aug. 5 / Aug. 12 / Aug. 19
Aug. 28 / Sept. 4 / Sept. 10 / Sept. 18
Sept. 26 / Oct. 3 / Oct. 10 / Oct. 18
Oct. 26 / Nov. 1 / Nov. 9 / Nov. 17
Nov. 24 / Dec. 1 / Dec. 8 / Dec. 17
Dec. 23 / Dec. 30

Notable Events: Total lunar eclipse on March 3 (Worm Moon) and a partial lunar eclipse on Aug. 28 (Sturgeon Moon). May 31 is a Blue Moon. For detailed, location-specific maps, timing and visibility of occultations and eclipses, consult specialist resources such as In-The-Sky.org, local observatories, and astronomy societies.

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