January's Supermoon is going to be special, thanks to a rare triple brightness boost
Early morning sky watchers will have a delightful view this Saturday, January 3, as the "Wolf Moon," the first Full Moon of 2026, will shine bright in the sky. What's more? It's not just a simple Full Moon; it is a Supermoon that will see a rare mix of factors leading to one of the brightest appearances that the Moon is capable of.
The Supermoon—the last one of the Supermoon cycle that began last October—will rise at 5:03 a.m. EST. It will have an exceptional glow thanks to three factors lining up perfectly. First of all, the perigee (the point at which the Moon is the closest to Earth) of the Supermoon will be approximately 362,312 kilometers (225,130 miles). This proximity to our planet will render the Moon's disk 14% bigger and 30% brighter compared to when it is farthest from the Earth. Besides that, according to Science Alert, the Earth will be just hours from perihelion—its closest point to the Sun, which is about 3.4 percent closer than its farthest point.
This situation implies that Earth and the Moon will receive more solar energy, with the Full Moon appearing about 6.5 percent brighter than when the Earth is at aphelion—its farthest point from the Sun. Last but not least, the January polar air has almost no moisture for the northern hemisphere observers. The low humidity contributes to a much clearer sky, thereby letting the Moon's rays come through with higher brightness than during summer nights.
The name "Wolf Moon" originates in the belief that wolves howl more during this time of the year on account of the nights being colder and food being scarcer. According to timeanddate, the name is generally thought to come from Celtic and Old English and was later in history introduced to North America by the Europeans. However, different cultures have different names for the Full Moon. For instance, some Native American tribes call the January Full Moon the "Center Moon," as they consider it to mark the middle of the winter season.
A Supermoon is the result of the moon's orbit not being a perfect circle but an oval. Hence, the Moon reaches its closest point to Earth approximately 13 times a year; however, we call it a "Supermoon" only when that closest approach perfectly coincides with the full moon phase. Every time the moon's path is altered by the sun's gravitational pull and other celestial forces, the distance of the Moon's closest approach is different. This Saturday’s event will be particularly important because it happens so close to Earth's own closest approach to the sun.
You don’t need to have a telescope or any other expensive gear to enjoy the view. Simply locate a place where the sky is clearly visible, take a warm blanket along, and gaze at the sky.
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