The first weekend of 2026 is set to dazzle skywatchers across the globe as the Wolf Moon, the year’s inaugural full moon, rises in spectacular fashion. Not only does this celestial event mark the beginning of a new lunar cycle, but it also continues a rare streak of supermoons and coincides with the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower—though the moon’s brilliance may make spotting meteors a challenge.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and Time and Date, the Wolf Moon will reach its peak illumination at 5:03 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, January 3, 2026. For those in the UK, BBC reports the moon will be at its fullest at 10:03 GMT. The moon will appear impressively large and bright for several nights, beginning around New Year’s Eve and remaining nearly full on January 2 and 4 as well.
This Wolf Moon is no ordinary full moon—it’s a supermoon, the fourth in a row after October’s Harvest Moon, November’s Beaver Moon, and December’s Cold Moon. As Royal Museums Greenwich explains, a supermoon occurs when the moon reaches its full phase at or near perigee, the closest point in its elliptical orbit to Earth. At perigee, the moon sits about 220,000 to 226,000 miles away, compared to roughly 250,000 miles at its most distant, or apogee. The result? The moon appears larger and brighter than usual, a treat for night sky enthusiasts everywhere.
Supermoons aren’t exceedingly rare—there are typically three or four each year—but four in a row is unusual, and this January event kicks off a year with three supermoons in total. After January, skywatchers will have to wait until November and December for the next super-sized lunar displays. As Mashable points out, 2026 will also feature a rare blue moon in May, when two full moons occur in a single month, bringing the annual total to 13 instead of the usual 12.
The Wolf Moon gets its evocative name from traditions that predate modern calendars. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac and the Smithsonian, January’s full moon was so named because wolves were believed to be more active and their howls more frequently heard during the cold winter months—a notion echoed in Native American, Colonial American, and European folklore. The Sioux language describes this lunar event as “wolves run together,” while the Potawatomi call it “moon of the bear,” and the Lakota refer to it as “hard moon.” These names reflect the moon’s importance as a seasonal marker and its connection to the rhythms of the natural world.
This year’s Wolf Moon rises in the constellation Gemini and will glow with a striking yellowish-orange hue, especially when low on the horizon. USA Today explains that this coloration is an optical illusion, the result of the moon’s light passing through more of Earth’s atmosphere when it’s near the horizon, scattering shorter wavelengths and leaving the longer, warmer hues visible to our eyes.
The full moon spectacle comes with a twist: it coincides with the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower, one of the year’s most prolific meteor displays. The Quadrantids, which run from December 28, 2025 through January 12, 2026, are known for producing up to 200 bright fireball meteors per hour at their peak, according to NASA and the American Meteor Society. This year, the shower’s maximum activity is expected on the night of January 3-4, with the best viewing from midnight to dawn. The meteors originate from the debris trail of asteroid 2003 EH1, which some astronomers believe may be a “dead comet” or “rock comet.”
However, the Wolf Moon’s intense brightness will make meteor spotting especially difficult this year. As Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society told CNN, “With the full moon at 100% illumination this weekend, a great majority of the activity will be obscured by the bright moonlight.” Lunsford suggests facing northeast with the moon at your back to maximize your chances, though even then, only the brightest meteors are likely to be visible—perhaps five per hour, along with a few random meteors. For those who miss out, there will be plenty of other meteor showers throughout 2026, including the Perseids in August, which should benefit from darker skies thanks to a new moon.
For those eager to catch a glimpse of the Wolf Moon, timing and location are key. BBC reports that in the UK, moonrise will occur at different times across the country—15:06 in Aberdeen, 15:48 in Belfast, 15:51 in Oxford, and 16:03 in Swansea. Most of the UK is expected to enjoy clear skies, though Northern Scotland, eastern England, and west Wales may experience cloud cover and snow showers. Temperatures are set to drop below freezing with a strong northerly wind, so bundling up is a must for late-night skywatchers.
You don’t need any special equipment to enjoy the spectacle. As NASA’s Noah Petro explained to CNN, “You can safely observe the moon with your eyes or use a telescope or binoculars for a closer look.” Petro recommends finding a dark place with a clear view of the horizon, but even a favorite local spot will do. “Being in a place that is meaningful and enjoying the full moon makes it that much more special,” he said.
The January full moon is just one phase in the moon’s 29.5-day orbit around Earth. As Mashable notes, the lunar cycle includes eight distinct phases: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount illuminated by the sun changes as it moves through its orbit, giving rise to the familiar progression of shapes in the night sky.
For those looking ahead, the next full moon after the Wolf Moon is predicted for February 1, 2026—the Snow Moon, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. The rest of the year’s full moons come with their own evocative names: Worm Moon, Pink Moon, Flower Moon, Blue Moon, and so on, each tied to seasonal changes and ancient traditions.
This year’s Wolf Moon also comes with a sense of anticipation for future lunar exploration. With NASA’s Artemis II mission expected to send astronauts around the moon as soon as early February, Petro encourages everyone to “go out and look up and just become awestruck” at the supermoon. He suggests that as we watch the moon from Earth, we can imagine what it might be like for astronauts to see its far side—a view denied to us on the ground.
Whether you’re a seasoned astronomer or simply someone who enjoys a moment of wonder, the 2026 Wolf Moon offers a chance to connect with the rhythms of the cosmos and the stories that have shaped our understanding of the skies. So, bundle up, head outside, and let the first full moon of the year work its magic—supermoon style.
