January is a long month but the full February moon is just a few days away. So, we’re not waiting until the January calendar page is flipped.
You will likely see the full moon this weekend even though it is at its peak at 5:09 p.m. EST Feb. 1, 2026.
Called the “Snow Moon” which this year appropriately mirrors what is on the ground here in the Midwest and neighboring states, the full moon is also known as the “Bear Moon” by some North American tribes.
You should be able to see it rise in the East because our weather is not just cold but also clear. If interested in reference to star formations look for the constellation Cancer.
It is hard to predict if February 2026 will be the snowiest month this year because some sites say that January often has more snow. But keep the shovels handy.
Oldsters might recall the words “by the light of the silvery moon.” That light is shining bright now.
November’s Full Moon is most illuminated at 8:19 a.m. EST on November 5, 2025 but it already appears full tonight, Nov. 4, so don’t worry you don’t see it early in the morning. Just look up tonight to see what we call the Hunter’s Moon or the Beaver’s Moon.
Whatever name you like it is a Supermoon and is brightest and fullest on Nov. 5, 2025. It appears larger than most other full moons because it will be closer to Earth.
But look again. It will still look full on Nov. 6.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac a Supermoon is a New or Full Moon that occurs when the Moon is near perigee (the point in the Moon’s orbit where it is closest to Earth). Thus there can be more than one Supermoon in a year.
“Supermoon” was the name given by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 for Moons within 90% of perigee.
The almanac goes on to say “According to this definition, in 2025, the Full Moons of October, November, and December all qualify as Supermoons—reaching 90% of perigee, the Moon’s closest approach to Earth.
Next year, 2026, will contain three Full Supermoons – January 3, 2026; November 24, 2026; and December 23, 2026.
First Supermoon this year is early October Jacobs photo)
Did the full moon wake you last night as it shone through the window covering? It did me.
The October 2025 full moon actually is 11:47 p.m. ET, Oct 6, but it will look large and full this weekend thru Oct.8 because it is a Supermoon.
It appears larger and brighter because it is closer to Earth than this year’s previous full moons. It is the first of three Supermoons in 2025.
It is also called the Harvest Moon which sometimes appears in September depending on when the autumnal equinox falls.
If you are driving past a field that is no longer full of corn you likely understand why the October full moon this year is called the Harvest Moon.
But sometimes we think of the Harvest Moon as falling in September. That “date” depends on the September (autumnal equinox) which this year was Sept. 22. The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon. This year we called the September full moon the Corn Moon.
BTW the Anishinaabe tribe calls the October Moon the Falling Leaves Moon.
Maybe you noticed evening started to come earlier after Sept. 22. Our daylight is shortening and our yard is covered with leaves.
Last Spring full moon or first Summer full moon (J Jacobs
The June 2025 Full Moon already is full even though it is considered at its fullest or most illuminated at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Time on June 11.
The Moon appears full before and after its peak illumination and it will appear all night because Moonrise and Moonset happen at about sunset and sunrise.
Don’t expect it to be tinted pink even though it’s nickname is the Strawberry Moon. As with other full moon names it reflects what is happening in the season and wild strawberries ripen now.
Some Native American names are Berries Ripen Moon, Green Corn Moon, and Hot Moon but Celtic and Old English names include Flower Moon, Planting Moon, Horse Moon and Dyan Moon. Anglo-Saxons called it the Mead Moon when the meadows or meads are mowed.
A Moon usually appears reddish when it’s close to the horizon because the light rays must pass through the densest layers of the atmosphere. Indeed, June’s full moon will be at its lowest point since 2006 because we’re in a lunar standstill.
A lunar standstill or lunistice is when the Moon reaches its furthest north or furthest south point during a month.
Are the flowers in your garden patch coming up now?
As with some of the other full moon names, the one in May represents what is happening in the season. Thus Native Americans, early settlers and European planters called it, among other names, the Flower Moon.
Celtic and Old English background names include Mothers’ Moon, Bright Moon, Hare Moon, and Grass Moon, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. No surprise then that in 2025 the May Full Moon happens on Mother’s Day.
It was already mostly full and bright last night, May 8, in Chicago, but it actually gets fuller and reaches full illumination there on Monday, May 12 in the middle of the day at 11:56 a.m.
Different American tribes such as the Dakotas and Algonquins were known to call it by that name. The Cree tribe used Budding Moon.
If looking up tonight, also watch for Spica, a bright star, hovering around the moon, according to Space.
The May Full Moon is a micro moon. Micro moon is applied when the Full Moon’s orbit is farthest from Earth. In this case that would be 405,278 kilometers (251,828 miles) away, according to Time and Date.
It won’t look any smaller and may even appear bigger due to the optical Moon illusion.
Well, not really pink. That is what the full moon on April 12, 2025 is called.
As you likely know from reading this full moon series, the titles refer either to Native American’s views of the seasons, the European growing times or the flora and fauna early American settlers noticed as seasons changed.
The April Pink full moon derived its title from Phlox subulata, a North American wildflower often called creeping phlox, moss phlox and moss pink.
The 2025 Pink Full Moon is at its height of illumination at 8:22 p.m. EDT (00:22 Greenwich Mean Time April 13). That time is before it reaches apogee, the point where the Moon is farthest from Earth. Thus the April Pink Moon will look small, like a micro-moon. Of course you can watch for the moon to rise above the horizon.
Another important name for the April full moon is the Paschal Moon because it is the first ecclesiastical (14th day in the lunar cycle) full Moon of Spring after the equinox and determines the date of Easter.
Yes, you can watch for the moon at sunset a day or two before April 12 and a day or two afterwards.
The skies will be particularly interesting in March
Don’t forget to wear something green on St. Pats Day, March 15. But first mark March 13-14 for a lunar eclipse. Then, mark March 29 for when the New Moon covers part of the Sun in a partial solar eclipse.
The March Full Moon is known as the Worm Moon for when the soil and weather is right for earthworms to peek out. It is also called the Lenten Moon reflecting the timing of the pre-Easter Lent period.
The March full moon 2024 is the closest full moon to the March equinox. It’s also called the Sugar Moon for when to tap tree sap. (Check your local forest and park districts which may be holding sugar tapping events.)
Lunar Eclipse It’s not just the sun that has eclipses. Watch the moon disappear March 13-14, 2025.
Visible from all of North America, the March full moon will have a total Lunar Eclipse. The Moon will enter its penumbra stage at 11:56 P.M. EDT (8:56 P.M. PDT), March 13 and the umbra at 1:09 A.M. EDT on March 14 (10:09 P.M. PDT, March 13).
It will leave the umbra stage at 4:48 A.M. EDT (1:48 A.M. PDT) on March 14 and the penumbra at 6:02 A.M. EDT (3:02 A.M. PDT). No solar glasses needed.
During a lunar eclipse, the Sun, Moon, and Earth are in a line with the Earth between the Moon and Sun. Therefore, our planet casts a reddish shadow over the Moon (also known as the umbra).
The full bright “Blood” or “Earthworm” Moon will be at peak illumination at 2:55 A.M. ET on Friday, March 14. However, look for a bright Moon rising above the horizon, Thursday evening.
Because it will look closer to us near the horizon, it will look large. That’s called a Moon illusion.
Partial Solar Eclipse
It can be viewed in northeastern North America around sunrise and mid-morning across Europe. (Sunrise is at 6:31 EDT in Boston.). The moon’s central shadow will miss Earth so no totality but it will still be a solar eclipse.
According to Space much of Europe will see a large partial solar eclipse.
The best views will be for in the far eastern area of North America, where an eclipsed sun will appear on the eastern horizon at sunrise.
If your sky is clear tonight you are likely to see what looks like a full moon. It actually is at peak illumination tomorrow, Monday, Jan. 23,2025 at 4:22 p.m. CST, (2227 UTC according to the U.S. Naval Observatory) but it looks full the day before and day after that.
This full moon is called the Wolf Moon. It is also known as the Moon after Yule and the Ice Moon. A note on the NASA Science site says the January moon is “the start of Prayag Kumbh Mela; Shakambhari Purnima; Paush Purnima; the Thiruvathira, Thiruvathirai, or Arudhra Darisanam festival Moon; and Duruthu Poya.”
If you like to gaze at the sky or look for planets you should also note that the full Wolf Moon will pass in front of Mars but first watch for its rising in the eastern horizon around sunset. To find out when to see the January full moon check Moonrise Calculator.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists other names for the January Moon. And yes, the names apply to the whole lunar month, not just when it is full.
Here are some of those names: Cold Moon (Cree), Frost Exploding Moon (Cree) and Great Moon (Cree). There is also Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin), Severe Moon (Dakota). Hard Moon (Dakota), Canada Goose Moon (Tlingit), Greetings Moon (Western Abenaki) and Spirit Moon (Ojibwe).
Since many full names reflect the season or weather the question is why “Wolf Moon?”
Wolves are thought to do more howling in January (winter) to find pack members, coordinate hunting and define their territory.
Look up,the Geminids are here. They will be around until Dec. 24 in 2024, but they peak December 13-15.
Flying across the sky at about 120 to 150 per hour, the Geminids are among the best meteor showers of the year.
Instead of seeming to come from (known as the radiant) a comet, the Geminids are from the 3200 Phaethon which is an asteroid. That’s the good news.
Not so good is that December’s full moon, called the Cold Moon, will be lighting up the sky at the same time. It looks full Dec. 13-16 but reaches full illumination the morning of Dec. 15.
The problem is the full moon really will lite up not just the sky but your landscape making it hard to catch the Geminids. EarthSky has a couple of suggestions to counter the full moon including looking for a spot that is in shadow.
The moon’s”Cold” name reflects the weather at this time of year. However, it is also called the Long Night Moon because of its proximity to the winter solstice, Dec. 21. You’ll probably notice the morning starts darker now and night comes quickly.
If you have had a clear night sky this past weekend and have been looking up you may have noticed that the moon before it was even full has been looming large. The November full moon is the last of the season’s four Supermoons.
Likely you remember that Supermoons look larger because they are closer to Earth than the other full moons. That would be within the 90 percent range of its closest orbital point.
To see it at its full illumination, check it out at 4:29 p.m. EDT on Nov. 15, (2024). Of course, as usual, it will appear full the day before and the day after.
The November full moon is known as the “Beaver Moon” because that animal is beginning to move into the lodge it has constructed where it has stored food for the winter.
Other November full moon names refer to other animal activities and the weather in Native American lore such as the Digging and Deer Rutting Moon or the Frost or Freezing Moon.
