The Wolf Moon is Coming — Here’s How and When to Catch It
Here's everything you need to know about the first full moon of the year.
The new year is officially here and that means that the first full moon of 2022 is well on its way. Next week, you will be able to enjoy the start of the year with a wonderfully bright night sky. Here is everything you need to know about the Wolf Moon — including where the name comes from, when to see it, and how best to view upon its pale face.
What’s the Wolf Moon?
Simply put, it’s a full moon, which means it qualifies for a cool nickname. And in this case, it gets arguably the coolest nickname of all and the reason it’s called the Wolf Moon is pretty obvious: wolves howl at the moon (especially during the winter)! Easy enough.
When is the Wolf Moon?
January’s Full Wolf Moon reaches peak illumination on Monday, January 17, at 6:51 P.M. EST — well before most kids’ bedtimes — but for night owls, it should look pretty full all night. A couple of hours after the sun sets, the Wolf Moon will be on full glorious display in the sky, provided that no pesky clouds get in the way. The moon will look mostly full for the days leading up to the peak as well.
You can check the exact time of the moonrise and moonset in your exact location, though you honestly do not need to overthink this one. You won’t need any binoculars or access to a telescope, just head outside (ideally to a space without too much artificial light) and look up to enjoy that big beautiful moon.
Anything Else?
Not really. If you end up missing the Wolf Moon for whatever reason, do not worry because another full moon will be coming in February and every subsequent month after that. So just prepare yourself for another magical year of the sky doing a lot of weird and cool stuff for our enjoyment.
