The first full moon of the year is about to rise over the skies.
Get ready to “howl” at the “wolf” moon, a celestial event so named for the idea that in the dark, cold months of winter, wolves make themselves extra heard at night.
Here’s everything to know about the full wolf moon, including more on its nickname and when to see it.
The wolf moon is seen in 2023 rising over the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 in Stuart, Florida.
How did the wolf moon get its name?
The year’s first full moon is best known as the “wolf moon” since wolves’ howls were more likely to be heard during winter, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Thought to have been brought to North America by European settlers, the name may be a bit of a misnomer.
While wolves certainly howl, experts say there is no evidence that they’re doing so at the moon, or that its celestial phases have any bearing on wolf calls. Rather, because wolves are nocturnal animals, so they are generally more active at night.
Wolves also aren’t howling because they’re hungry, contrary to popular belief.
“Howling and other wolf vocalizations are heard in the wintertime to locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, define territory, and coordinate hunting,” according to the almanac.
The first full moon of the year is known as the “wolf moon” since wolves’ howls were more likely to be heard during winter.
When will the full wolf moon be visible? How to see it.
A moon appears to us as “full” when the celestial body – Earth’s only natural satellite – is on the exact opposite side of our planet from the sun, making the moon’s face entirely illuminated by the sun’s rays.
January’s full wolf moon reaches peak illumination Monday, Jan. 13 at 5:27 p.m. EST.
A full wolf moon rises behind a crepe myrtle tree, seen Jan. 6, 2023 in Pendleton, South Carolina.
But the moon will also appear extra bright for about three days around the time of its peak illumination, from Sunday evening into Wednesday morning.
Look for the January full moon to rise from the eastern horizon around sunset, according to NASA. By midnight, the wolf moon should glow bright and round overhead before disappearing at sunrise into the western horizon.
As a bonus, on the night of the full Moon, the moon will pass in front of Mars and be visible to most of the continental United States, NASA says.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon will be in February.
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the snow moon will become visible, according to Astronomy.com.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: January 2025 full moon: When, how to see wolf moon rise
