The new year is in full swing, and the first full moon of 2021 will officially occur on January 28 at 2:16 p.m. EST.
Even if you can’t see the moon at that time, it’ll still be big and bright on both the nights of January 27 and 28.
January’s full moon is known as the Wolf Moon. The full moon’s name originates from Native American or Anglo-Saxon sources, according to the BBC, to mark the time of year that wolves were at their loudest.
There are typically twelve full moons in a single year, and each one has a unique name. The Wolf Moon refers to the howling wolves that were often heard in the first month of the year.
Names for the monthly full moons may differ from tribe to tribe. January’s full moon has also been called the Cold Moon and Freeze Moon, referring to the temperatures of the season.
The Full Wolf Moon simply is the first of many impressive lunar events in 2021.
The Full Snow Moon will appear on February 27. Then we’ll have four supermoons on March 28, April 27, May 26 and June 24.
Supermoons occur when the full moon happens during a point in the moon’s orbit when it’s closer to earth than it is on average. It isn’t a scientific term but it’s exciting to see because the moon looks brighter and larger than usual.
In 2021, we’ll experience a total lunar eclipse on May 26 and an almost-total one on Nov. 19, with the second eclipse especially being viewable in the U.S. and Canada. On June 10, a “ring of fire” annular eclipse takes place. The moon passes in front of the sun but doesn’t cover its entire disk, causing a ring of sunlight to be viewable from parts of North America. A total eclipse of the sun occurs on Dec. 4, but will only be seen in full from Antarctica.
Follow Meteorologist Jason Meyers on Twitter or watch one of his entertaining and educational YouTube videos.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
