The first full moon of 2025, known as the Wolf Moon, is on its way, marking a bright start to the new year!

Read on to learn everything you need to know about this special celestial event.

When is the Wolf Moon in 2025?

According to NASA, the Wolf Moon will arrive at 5:27 p.m. ET on January 13, 2025.

The moon will be full for about three days at this time, from Sunday evening to Wednesday morning, the agency said.

Why is it called the Wolf Moon?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac first began publishing the names of full moons in the 1930s. It says that January’s full moon “became known as the Wolf Moon because wolves were more likely to be heard howling at that time.”

What are other names for the wolf moon?

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, indigenous groups also have different names for this first full moon.

“Other traditional names for the January moon emphasize the harsh cold of the season: Cold Moon (Cree), Frost Exploding Moon (Cree), Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin), and Severe Moon (Dakota). Hard Moon (Dakota) highlights the phenomenon that fallen snow forms a hard crust,” the almanac says. “Canada Goose Moon (Tlingit), Great Moon (Cree), Greetings Moon (Western Abenaki) and Spirit Moon (Ojibwe) were also recorded as moon names for that month.”

Some also call it the moon after Christmas, referring to the three-day winter solstice festival in pre-Christian Europe, according to NASA.

What can be seen in the sky next to the wolf moon?

According to NASA, this lunar cycle offers great stargazing opportunities as five planets are visible in the evening sky.

• Venus: The brightest Venus, visible in the southwest, changes from half-full to a crescent and reaches its peak brightness shortly after the February full moon.
• Jupiter: second brightest in the east; its four moons – Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io – are visible with a telescope.
• Mars: Located deep in the east-northeast, it will reach its nearest and brightest star just days after the Wolf Moon.
• Saturn: Near Venus to the southwest, its moon Titan and its thin rings are visible through a telescope. Saturn will appear closest to Venus on January 18th.
• Uranus: High in the southeast, visible with a telescope or in very dark skies.

These planets move westward around Polaris during this lunar cycle, making them easier to spot earlier in the evening – perfect for backyard stargazing!