Wolf Moon 2025: The Full Moon In January
The first of 12 Full Moons this year will occur on January 13. It’s widely known as the Wolf Moon — read on to learn what these wild animals have to do with our natural satellite. You’ll also learn the best time and date to observe the Full Moon. Let’s get started!
Contents
- When is the Full Moon in January 2025?
- What constellation is the January Full Moon in?
- Bright dot near the Full Moon in January 2025
- What is a Wolf Moon?
- When is the next Full Moon 2025?
- Wolf Moon 2025: key ideas
When is the Full Moon in January 2025?
The Wolf Moon in January 2025 will be the first Full Moon this year. The exact time of the Full Wolf Moon is January 13, 22:27 GMT (5:27 p.m. ET). At this moment, the Moon will reach its peak brightness, shining with a magnitude of -12.5. It will be in the constellation Gemini. Our natural satellite is the brightest object in the night sky and is very easy to observe even without special equipment. The lunar disk will look full to the naked eye for several days, starting around January 12.
To see more details on the lunar surface, grab a pair of binoculars. A pair of binoculars with 12x magnification is the best option for the Moon viewing, but when the lunar disk is fully illuminated, any option is suitable. An easy and spectacular target for spotting is the prominent crater, Tycho. To quickly locate it on the lunar surface, use our Star Walk 2 app — find the Moon there and choose the “Atlas” tab.
Moon phases in January 2025
- First Quarter: January 6, 23:56 GMT (6:56 p.m. ET)
- Full Moon: January 13, 22:27 GMT (5:27 p.m. ET)
- Last Quarter: January 21, 20:31 GMT (3:31 p.m. ET)
- New Moon: January 29, 12:36 GMT (7:36 a.m. ET)
To learn what the Moon looks like tonight, visit the new Moon Phases section on our website. There, you can check out the monthly lunar calendar and find out the Moon phase for any specific day, as well as the moonrise and moonset times.
What constellation is the January Full Moon in?
The Moon doesn’t hang in the same constellation all the time. It travels the sky rather quickly: during the period around the Full Moon, it will visit three constellations in three days.
Before the Full Moon, on January 12, the Moon will be in the constellation Auriga. Then, it will move into the constellation Gemini during the night of January 12-13. At the exact moment of the Full Moon, the Moon will be in Gemini near Mars and the bright star Pollux. The night after the Full Moon, on January 14, the Moon will move into the constellation Cancer.
Bright dot near the Full Moon in January 2025
The Full Moon is beautiful on its own, but being aware of the bright stars and planets next to it will make your stargazing night even better.
- From January 11 to 14, our natural satellite will be passing through the Winter Hexagon asterism, which is comprised of six stars: Sirius from Canis Major, Procyon from Canis Minor, Rigel from Orion, Aldebaran from Taurus, Pollux from Gemini, and Capella from Auriga.
- On January 13, at 21:45 GMT (4:45 p.m. ET), the Full Moon will meet Pollux (mag 1.2) – the brightest star in the constellation Gemini. Both objects can be seen with the naked eye, so you will easily find the bright dot near the Moon.
- On January 14, at 03:42 GMT (January 13, 10:42 p.m. ET), the Moon will meet Mars (mag -1.4). The Red Planet will shine brightly, and the Moon will still appear full to the naked eye.
- On January 14, at 21:03 GMT (4:03 p.m. ET), the Moon will be near the Beehive cluster (mag 3.1) in the constellation Cancer. Under the dark skies, the cluster is visible to the naked eye as a blurry patch of light, but it’s best to observe the event with binoculars.
To identify these and many other bright sky objects near the Moon, use the sky map app — Sky Tonight. Launch the app and point it up into the sky. Sky Tonight will show you the names of all stars, planets, galaxies, and other celestial bodies. Tap a big blue button in the lower part of your screen to turn on the AR mode.
What is a Wolf Moon?
People from different cultures gave Full Moons names that represented the peculiarities of the lunar month in which they occur. Throughout cold January nights, the howling of wolves could be heard around villages in both Europe and America, so the January Full Moon became widely known as the Wolf Moon.
People used to believe that wolves howl because of winter hunger, but today we know that wolves generally use vocalizations to communicate, reinforce social bonds, and coordinate hunting.
January Full Moon Alternative Names
Full Moons are called differently in other cultures. Some people didn’t put wolves at the forefront and highlighted the other peculiarities of the month. Depending on the region, you can hear such names as the Bear Moon, Bear Hunting Moon, and Goose Moon. One of the Celtic names for the January Full Moon is the Stay Home Moon, which sounds like sensible advice when it's cold winter outside, and wolves are howling. Here are some more examples:
- Chinese: Holiday Moon
- Celtic: Quiet Moon
- North American: Old Moon
- Cherokee: Cold Moon
- Southern Hemisphere: Hay Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Mead Moon
When is the next Full Wolf Moon?
Soon, we’ll see the Full Wolf Moon on January 13, at 22:27 GMT (5:27 p.m. ET). After that, the next Wolf Moon will occur on January 3, 2026, at 10:03 GMT (5:03 p.m. ET).
When is the next Full Moon 2025?
The next Full Moon, widely known as the Snow Moon, will occur on February 12, 2025. If you’d like to learn more about the February Full Moon and the origin of its name, read our article.
Wolf Moon 2025: key ideas
The Full Moon in January 2025 will occur on January 13, at 22:27 GMT (5:27 p.m. ET). It will be the first Full Moon in 2025. During this month, the howling of wolves was often heard as they were hunting for food, hence the name “Wolf Moon”.
We wish you clear skies and happy stargazing!
