Full ‘wolf’ moon lights up the sky tonight

On Jan 18, 2022

Despite the fictional tale, it hasn’t stopped people from connecting the moon with the furry animals.

The first full moon of the year is known as the wolf moon, and will appear the evening of Monday, January 17.

It will peak at 6:51 p.m. ET or 11:51 p.m. GMT. To catch a glimpse of the moon, look above the horizon in the east-northeastern direction, according to NASA.

Some moon gazers may spot a bright star near the full moon. It’s Pollux, a star that’s part of the Gemini constellation, NASA said.

Both Jupiter and Saturn will also be visible, NASA noted, but they’ll be opposite the moon above the southwestern horizon.

More than a wolf moon

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There is a cornucopia of names for the January full moon besides the wolf moon, including the Old Moon and Ice Moon.

Hindus refer to it as Shakambhari Purnima, which marks the last day of Shakambari Navratri, an eight-day holiday honoring the goddess Shakambhari. People in India often bathe in holy waters during this time, NASA said.

Assiniboine people who live in the Northern Great Plains in the United States call this the center moon because it is around the middle of winter, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Algonquin people located northeast of the Great Lakes, also in the US, call it “squochee kesos,” which means, “sun has not strength to thaw.” The Cheyenne people of the Great Plains call it “moon of the strong cold.”

Full moons and supermoons

There are 12 full moons in 2022, and two of them qualify as supermoons.

Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term generally denotes a full moon that is brighter and closer to Earth than normal and thus appears larger in the night sky.

Some astronomers say that the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee — which is its closest approach to Earth in orbit. By that definition, the full moon for June as well as the one in July will be considered supermoon events.

Here is the list of the remaining full moons for 2022, according to the Farmers’ Almanac:

• February 16: Snow moon

• March 18: Worm moon

• April 16: Pink moon

• May 16: Flower moon

• June 14: Strawberry moon

• July 13: Buck moon

• August 11: Sturgeon moon

• September 10: Harvest moon

• October 9: Hunter’s moon

• November 8: Beaver moon

• December 7: Cold moon

While these are the popularized names associated with the monthly full moon, each one carries varied significance across Native American tribes.

Lunar and solar eclipses

There will be two total lunar eclipses and two partial solar eclipses in 2022, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun, but only blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as the sun’s light can be damaging to the eye.

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A partial solar eclipse on April 30 can be seen by those in southern South America, the southeastern Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic peninsula. Another one on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China. Neither of the partial solar eclipses will be visible from North America.

A lunar eclipse can occur only during a full…

Full ‘wolf’ moon lights up the sky tonight

More than a wolf moon

Full moons and supermoons

Lunar and solar eclipses

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