If you ’re looking for more ways tocelebrate the new year , you ’ll have an opportunity on Thursday , January 25 , 2024 — when the first fullmoonof the year will illuminate the night skies . Before looking up to see the wolf moon over your backyard , familiarize yourself with the annualcelestial eventand get quick for a calendar wedge - full of astral activity .
What Is the Full Wolf Moon?
Awolf moonis the first ( and in most long time , the only ) full moonshine to occur in January . The nickname come from a North American family belief thatwolves howledmore frequently during the first month of the yr . The Assiniboine people called January ’s full moon the “ halfway lunar month ” because the event was acknowledge as the center of winter , according to theOld Farmer ’s Almanac . Other nicknames among Indigenous group include the “ frost exploding Sun Myung Moon ” of the Cree ; the “ hard lunar month ” of the Dakota , referring to the knockout impudence of icing that forms over snow at this time of year ; and the “ Canada jackass moon ” of the Tlingit .
When to See the Full Wolf Moon
The full wolf moon falls on Thursday , January 25 , 2024 . The moon will hit peak fullness at12:54 p.m. EST . If the moon is n’t seeable in your part of the world at that time , wait until sunset . The celestial body will still bet peculiarly shining throughout the night .
The full masher moon is one of many exciting astronomical events to look forwards to in 2024 . After catching this one , mark your calendar for February 24 — that ’s when February ’s full moonlight , thesnow moonlight , is position to come out . And in April , atotal solar occultation , dubbed the “ cracking North American Eclipse , ” will dazzle skygazers across a route of aggregate dilute fromMexico to eastern Canada . It is n’t too early to pop out buy youreclipse field glass .
A version of this narrative ran in 2021 ; it has been update for 2024 .
