The first full moon of the year will happen Thursday. The Moon’s rays will cause Venus, Mercury and Mars to be visible early Friday morning.
What is the Wolf Moon?
The Wolf Moon is a traditional name given by Native American and other Indigenous peoples to the first full moon of the year. The name “Wolf Moon” is attributed to the idea that wolves were often heard howling more during the winter months, possibly due to hunger or to communicate with other pack members. The January full moon was thus associated with the presence of wolves in the cold winter landscape.
The Wolf Moon marks an interesting cultural and natural connection.
Full moon cycle
Due to the Moon’s 29.5-day cycle, a full moon occurs monthly. However its occurrence may vary in terms of specific days as noted by NASA.
Throughout this cycle, the Moon undergoes eight phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent. When the Moon reaches the full moon phase, it presents itself as a flawless circle in the sky, as the entirety of its Earth-facing side is illuminated by the Sun’s rays.
How to see the Wolf Moon?
Observing the full moon doesn’t require any specialised tools, according to NASA.
Simply step outside and gaze up at the sky. While a telescope or binoculars can enhance the experience by magnifying the moon and revealing details on its surface.
The time zone dependence of the full moon will push the Wolf Moon to January 26 in some parts of the world.
The Wolf Moon will be ‘full’ on 26 Jan 2024 at 6:54 a.m in New Zealand, and 26 Jan 2024 at 4:54 a.m on the Eastern states of Australia, just before it sets the morning of Jan. 26 at 6:06 a.m.
Sunrise is at 6:26 a.m. in Melbourne, and at that point Venus is a full 27 degrees high in the East; this means that there is a good opportunity to see all three planets in the predawn sky.
