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Everything to Know About January's Full Wolf Moon and Mars Occultation
The first Full Moon of 2025 will be longer and higher than average, and it will temporarily block Mars.
In the Northern Hemisphere, we’re in the dead of winter and most people are spending their evenings inside where it’s warm. You might want to bundle up and head outside soon, though, to get a look at January’s Wolf Moon and the occultation of Mars.
The full Moon happens roughly once every month (sometimes it happens twice in a month, something known as a Blue Moon), and each has its own name. In the United States the January full Moon is known as the Wolf Moon. It’s said that the name comes from the wolves which historically howled at night during this time of year. In other places and among other cultures, it has other names including the Ice Moon, Old Moon, Center Moon, Cold Moon, and many more.
In fiction, the full Moon is a time for weirdness and wonder, a time when werewolves emerge to hunt their prey. Later this month, a reimagined Wolf Man will stalk into theaters from director Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man). After moving from San Francisco to Oregon, Blake (Christopher Abbott) and his family are attacked by a werewolf. They escape with their lives and board themselves inside the house, but Blake was scratched and he’s beginning to change. Wolf Man hits theaters January 17, but in the meantime, we have a real-world Wolf Moon of our own to check out.
During a full Moon, the Moon is located opposite the Sun with respect to the Earth. Its surface is fully illuminated from our point of view. That’s why a lunar eclipse can only happen during a full Moon when it’s possible for the Earth to get between the Moon and the Sun. The rest of the time, the Moon is being lit from some other angle with respect to the Earth. That’s what gives the Moon its trademark phases, from full Moon to new Moon and everything in between.
When will the January Wolf Moon happen?
The Moon will become full on the evening of Monday, January 13, at 5:27 ET, although it will appear full for about three days beginning Sunday evening and into Wednesday morning. January’s Wolf Moon will also be the highest hanging Full Moon of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. That’s because the Sun and the Moon are on more or less the same plane in space. Because of the Earth’s tilt, the Sun is at its lowest angle and the Moon at its highest at the Winter Solstice, which just happened December 21, 2024.
It also means that this full Moon will draw a longer than normal path across the sky and will be visible for longer. Look for the Moon to rise in the east at about the same time the Sun is setting in the west. Likewise, the Moon will set in the west around the same time the Sun is rising the next morning.
Mars and other celestial sights during the January Full Moon
Everything in space is in motion. From our point of view, the Moon’s motion is the result of moving along its orbital path and the rotation of the Earth. At the same time, the background planets of our solar system are also in motion, and sometimes they cross paths. On the evening of January 13, the Moon will pass in front of Mars.
When the Moon passes in front of another object from our point of view, it’s called an occultation. It’s less impressive than the mid-day darkness and coronal views of a solar eclipse but it’s still a neat way to spend an evening outside. The Moon will cover Mars for about an hour and 15 minutes that evening. The precise timing of the occultation will vary depending on your position on the globe. You can use tools like Stellarium Web to figure out the best viewing times for your location.
While you’re outside, take a moment to check out the rest of the sky. Although Mars will pull a temporary disappearing act, you’ll be able to see Venus and Saturn in the western sky during the early evening. Jupiter will be visible most of the night and they can all be seen in greater detail with a small telescope or pair of binoculars.
Wolf Man hits theaters everywhere January 17, 2025. Get your tickets now!
