NEW YORK (WPIX) – You might feel an urge to howl at the moon this week – and you wouldn’t be alone.
The Wolf Moon is set to light up the sky on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. It will be the first full moon of the year.
The full moon occurs when the moon, Earth and sun are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle, making the moon appear bright and full. At this time, other celestial bodies, such as the stars and planets, are more difficult to see due to the moon’s brightness.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the moon will reach peak illumination Thursday at 12:54 p.m. EST, but remain bright and full through the night.
“Look for the January Moon to rise from the eastern horizon around sunset that evening,” instructed the Almanac. “By midnight, the Wolf Moon glows bright and round overhead. By sunrise, it will disappear into the western horizon.”
Stargazers will also notice the moon is bright and full on Friday, just as it was Wednesday.
The Wolf Moon gets its name from wolves who tend to howl more at night during the winter months to “locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, define territory, and coordinate hunting,” according to the Almanac.
Wolf isn’t the only name given to the January full moon. The Almanac says it also goes by Center Moon since it occurs roughly in the middle of winter.
Other names for the January moon also denote cold weather, including Cold Moon, Frost Exploding Moon, Freeze Up Moon, Severe Moon and Hard Moon, the latter of which refers to the hard crust that forms on fallen snow.
The next full moon, called the Snow Moon, will occur on Feb. 24.
