The first full moon of the year will illuminate the night sky on Thursday, January 28, 2021. But you will not have to wait until midnight to see it: the full moon “Wolf Moon” reaches maximum illumination in the afternoon.
Why is it called Wolf Moon?
According to the Almanac of the Old Farmer, the full moon of January is often known as the “wolf moon” as a reference to wolves that used to howl at night during this time of year, although it is unclear whether the name comes from a Native American tribe. , as moon names usually do.
There are a large number of other names used to describe this month’s moon, such as Candle Moon, Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Central Moon, Cold Moon, Icy Moon, Moon frozen, severe moon and hard moon, among others.
“From what I’ve learned about traditional names given to full moons before the introduction of modern timing, local leaders usually decided the name of the moon based on current conditions. These cultures didn’t usually need calendars that specified dates. exact. very long in advance, “NASA ‘s Gordon Johnson said this week explaining the large number of names. “Full moon names were used to describe and remember what happened in the past and to remember what would probably happen in the near future. In addition, there are many different Native American names for full moons.”
Wassilios Aswestopoulos / NurPhoto via Getty Images
When to detect the Wolf Moon
In clear conditions, the full Wolf Moon will be visible from 14:16 ET. It will remain bright throughout the night, visible once it rises above the horizon around sunset.
To see the best view of the moon, look for local moon and moon departure times and find a clear area to enjoy a great view of the sky. Don’t worry if you miss it on Thursday – the moon will appear full for several days until the early hours of Saturday morning.
Skywatching in 2021 may not be as dramatic as last year Comet NEOWISE or Great Conjunction, but promises some spectacular moons. Unlike 2020, which saw 13 full moons, 2021 will have the typical 12 full moons:
- February 27: Snow Moon
- March 28: Worm Moon
- April 26: Pink moon
- May 26: Moon flower
- June 24: Strawberry Moon
- July 23: Buck moon
- August 22: sturgeon moon
- September 20: Moon harvest
- October 20: Hunter’s Moon
- November 19: Beaver Moon
- December 18: Cold Moon