January’s moon cycle starts out with the waxing crescent moon hanging out near Venus in the night sky.
The first full moon of the year, dubbed the “wolf moon,” will shine bright in the sky midmonth.
The wolf moon will rise from the eastern horizon around sunset that evening and is set to reach peak illumination just after sunset at 5:27 p.m. on Jan 13.
Some places will see the moon pass in front of Mars, according to EarthSky.
Why is January’s full moon called the wolf moon?
It’s believed January’s full moon became known as the wolf moon because people were more likely hear wolves howling at this time.
“It was traditionally believed that wolves howled due to hunger during winter, but we know today that isn’t accurate,” according to a Farmer’s Almanac article.
EarthSky’s Marcy Curran created this 1-minute video preview of the moon phases for the month of January 2025.
Producer and Host: Marcy Curran
#shorts #astronomy #stargazing #moon #earthsky #planets #Mercury #Mars #Saturn #Venus #Jupiter
January’s lunar schedule
Jan. 1-6: Waxing crescentJan. 7: First quarterJan. 8 — 12: Waxing gibbousJan. 13: Full moon (wolf moon)Jan. 14-21: Waning gibbousJan. 22: Last quarterJan. 23-28: Waning crescentJan. 29: New moonJan. 30-31: Waxing crescent
Check out the Farmer’s Almanac moon rise calculator to find out when the moon will rise and set in your location.
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