It’s almost time to give out a big cry. The first full moon of 2021 – nicknamed the “wolf moon” – will shine brightly in the night sky on Thursday 28 January.
The wolf moon will officially reach its full phase at 14:16 East Thursday, so it will be 98% full on Wednesday night, 100% on Thursday night and 99% on Friday night.
If you’re wondering about the origin of the terrifying nickname of the January moon, many believe that the “wolf moon” was created by Native American tribes who often hear packs of hungry wolves crying in the middle of winter on cold and snowy nights. .
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, hunger theory may be off-limits.
“It has traditionally been thought that they cry because of hunger, but there is no evidence for this,” the publication says. “However, wolves tend to cry more frequently during the winter months and generally cry to define area, locate pack members and gather for hunting.”
The full “wolf moon” in January will shine in the sky on Thursday 28 January 2021.Pixabay
Other nicknames for the full moon in January
All full moons generated different nicknames dating back to the days when Native American tribes and colonial Americans would name each moon based on weather conditions, farming routes, and hunting trends during the time of year.
Although the “wolf moon” is the most common nickname for the full January moon, it was also known as the “cold moon”, the “old moon”, the “big spirit moon” or the “moon after Yule,” according to the Boer Almanac and the Old Boer Almanac.
Some tribes referred to the full January moon as the ‘snow moon’, but the nickname is more common for the full moon in February.
Sky watchers will be treated to three super monsters in 2021. Pictured is a jet flying past the Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange in front of a supermoon in November 2016. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
3 supermoons and lunar eclipses in 2021
The Wolf Moon in January is the first of 12 full moons to appear in 2021. (Last year we had 13 full moons, as two appeared in October, including one on Halloween.)
Three of the full moons of this year will be ‘super moons’, and one will be a seasonal blue moon – the third of four full moons that appear during the same season. In addition, two lunar eclipses will occur in 2021: a total lunar eclipse on May 26 and a partial lunar eclipse on November 19.
The three super moons – full moons that, due to their narrower orbit to the earth, appear slightly larger and brighter than a typical full moon – will glow in the sky during the consecutive months: April, May and June.
Note: if you cannot see the graph above on your screen, click here to see it.
Thank you for trusting us to provide the journalism you can trust. Consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Len Melisurgo can be reached at [email protected].