The first full moon of 2025 is the January Wolf Moon, here's when you will see it light up the night sky.

Long Winter Nights

This time of year it's easy to feel like it's nighttime all the time, and for good reason.  During the winter the sun sets much earlier, and we are only a couple of weeks out from the Winter Solstice which was on December 21st, 2024, and is considered the longest night and shortest day of the year. So right now we are currently in the season where daylight hours are less than in the warmer months, so it's just kind of dark and cold all the time. The good news is, even though it may not seem like it, the days are slowly starting to get longer.  The sun sets a little bit later each day from now until the summer solstice when we have the longest day of the year.

But don't worry, soon the night sky will seem a little bit brighter, because the first full moon of 2024 is just around the corner!

 The January Wolf Moon

The first full moon of 2025 is January's Wolf Moon.  Every month's full moon has a different nickname, and January's is the Wolf Moon.  But how did January get such a spooky-sounding name for it's full moon?   According to the Almanac, it's because this time of year with no foliage to muffle sounds, wolves' howls are easier to hear.

Almanac explains:

It’s thought that January’s full Moon came to be known as the Wolf Moon because wolves were more likely to be heard howling at this time. It was traditionally believed that wolves howled due to hunger during winter, but we know today that isn’t accurate.

Howling and other wolf vocalizations are heard in the wintertime to locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, define territory, and coordinate hunting.

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When to See the Full Wolf Moon

If you're a superstitious person who finds bad luck in the number 13 and full moons, you may not be a fan of the fact that the first full moon of 2025 will fall on January the 13th.

According to the Almanac the Wolf Moon will reach peak illumination on January 13th around 4 PM our time (Central time).

January’s full Wolf Moon reaches peak illumination on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 5:27 P.M. EST.

So hang in there, not only are the days slowly getting a little longer, the night sky will also soon be a bit brighter for a little while as we have our first full moon of 2025 happening soon!