January's Wolf Super Moon

01.09.20 Wolf Moon

With the arrival of this evening comes the first full moon of 2026. 

According to Native American tradition January's full moon is named after howling wolves and is remembered as the Wolf Moon. 

It is said that at any given time there are estimated to be a dozen wolves wandering-about here on the peninsula.  I haven’t heard any wolves howling - just the resident coyotes - likely explained by the fact that the only wolves here are solitary males.  They've been  known to find their way here having dispersed from other packs in northeastern Wisconsin or Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  I am also told it is unlikely there is a breeding population around here.  But I digress.

In other cultures this is called the Old Moon, Snow Moon, Ice Moon or Moon after Yule.  My Celtic ancestors called this the Stay At Home Moon.  

This also happens to be super moon and will occur overnight tonight and tomorrow.  Full moons are always opposite the sun and fully illuminated.  They rise at sunset and set at sunrise.  In wintertime these moons reach as high in the sky at midnight as a summer noonday sun and cast shadows!  This is the third consecutive super moon (November, December and January) and will appear 8% larger and 16% brighter than your basic garden-variety full moon.  Here in the Midwest the crest of the full moon falls at 4:03 AM tomorrow.  Nevertheless, it will appear full both tonight and tomorrow and glow near Jupiter and the twin stars of Gemini - Castor and Pollux. 

And so it begins - if you like clear skies and howling at the moon - 2026 is going to deliver 13 must-see moon events including Super Moons, conjunctions and an eclipse.  You may wish to bookmark this link so you don’t miss anything.   

Fingers-crossed for cold, clear winter sky-gazing tonight.