The Snow Moon – the second full Moon of the year – rises this weekend, but you don't need to wait until then to observe the Moon.
2026 is set to be an amazing year for observing the Moon, and this week is a great example of that.
As the Moon approaches full Moon, it'll skip across the sky, night after night, meeting a few bright objects along the way.
First up, we've got a close encounter between the Moon and the easiest star cluster to see with the naked eye.
The we'll see a close encounter between the Moon and Jupiter, currently the brightest, easiest planet to see with the naked eye.
And that's before the full Moon even rises at the weekend. Here's a night-by-night guide to observing the Moon this week, as the Snow Moon approaches.
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Tuesday 27 January – the Moon and the Pleiades
Tonight the just-over-half-lit Moon is close to the Pleiades star cluster.
The Pleiades is one of the easiest star clusters to see with the naked eye, appearing like a bright 'smudge' in the sky above and to the right of the constellation Orion.
Through binoculars, the Pleiades looks like a mini 'Big Dipper' surrounded by an etheral blue glow.
On Tuesday 27 January, the Moon will be close to the Pleiades in the night sky.
If you're based in the UK and Europe, you'll see a lunar occultation of the Pleiades, where the Moon will appear to pass in front of the cluster.
From North America, you'll see the Moon pass close to the Pleiades, but not in front of it.
Locate the Moon in the southeast around sunset and watch as it gets closer and closer to the star cluster.
Wednesday 28 January
Tonight the Moon is now to the left of the Pleiades cluster, forming a triangle with it and another star cluster, the Hyades, which can be found by locating the bright red star Aldebaran.
Below the Moon you'll see the constellation Orion and the bright planet Jupiter, which is located near Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini.
This is one of the most interesting regions of the sky at the moment, as it contains all the targets mentioned above, but also bright stars Capella and Sirius.
Thursday 29 January
Tonight the Moon is almost full and is even closer to the bright planet Jupiter, which you can see to the Moon's left.
Jupiter is visible in the southeast during the early evening.
The Moon and Jupiter will get closer and closer together over the coming nights, making for a beautiful conjunction between Moon and planet in the evening sky.
Friday 30 January
This is the best time to see the Moon and Jupiter all week, as the pair are at their closest tonight.
It being Friday, you may be able to stay up a bit later than usual, perhaps even until the early hours of Saturday morning.
If you can, it'll be worth it, as Jupiter and the Moon will get closer and closer as they track across the sky, sinking in the west around sunset.
Saturday 31 January
The Moon has moved further to the left of Jupiter and is now effectively full Moon.
This full Moon is the Snow Moon, which is the name given to the full Moon in February.
If you're an early riser and are up before sunrise on Saturday, a clear western horizon will reveal the Moon and Jupiter close together in the morning sky, sinking just before sunrise.
Otherwise, look to the east on Saturday evening just after sunset and you'll see the (nearly) full Moon in all its glory.
Sunday 1 February
We begin February 2026 with a full Moon. This is the Snow Moon, so-called because February is traditionally the month that brings snowy, frosty weather.
Again, if you're an early riser, there's a chance to see the full Moon low in the west on Sunday morning.
By Sunday evening, the full Moon is rising in the east just after sunset and below it you'll see Regulus, the brightest star in Leo.
Tonight rounds off a fantastic week for observing the Moon.
If you've been observing or photographing the Moon this week, share your observations and images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
