Supermoon — January 3, 2026 (Wolf Moon)

What this countdown tracks

The clock counts down to the first supermoon of 2026 — the January full Wolf Moon on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The Moon reaches full phase within hours of perigee (its closest point to Earth in this orbital cycle), making it appear larger and brighter than an average full moon.

About this celestial event

A supermoon is a full moon (or new moon) that coincides with perigee — the closest point of the Moon's elliptical orbit around Earth. The Moon's distance from Earth varies between roughly 357,000 km at perigee and 406,000 km at apogee, a swing of about 14%. A perigee full moon appears about 14% larger and 30% brighter than an apogee full moon, although the difference is barely perceptible without side-by-side comparison.

The term "supermoon" was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle, but it has been adopted into mainstream astronomy and now appears in NASA, EarthSky and Sky & Telescope coverage. Strict definitions vary — Fred Espenak's widely used definition requires the Moon to be within 90% of its closest perigee for the year — but the popular usage refers to any full moon that occurs near perigee.

The "Wolf Moon" name for January's full moon comes from Algonquin and other Native American traditions, referring to the wolves that howled around long winter nights. The 2026 Wolf Moon is the first of three close-perigee supermoons in 2026, with the November and December full moons completing the trio.

What to expect

The 2026 January supermoon reaches full phase around the night of January 3, with the Moon visible all night from rise to set. The optimal viewing window is moonrise on the evening of January 3 — when the Moon, near the horizon, appears largest thanks to the Moon illusion (a perceptual effect, not an optical one) — and the late-evening hours when the Moon is high in the south and at its brightest.

Supermoons are easy to enjoy without equipment. Find an unobstructed eastern horizon for moonrise, take a photo with a telephoto lens or a phone in pro mode, and compare with the next apogee full moon to see the size difference. The full Wolf Moon is also a good moment to identify lunar maria and major impact craters: Tycho, Copernicus, the Sea of Tranquility and Mare Imbrium are all easy with binoculars.

Past supermoons

• October 17, 2024 — Hunter's Moon supermoon (closest of 2024)
• August 19, 2024 — Sturgeon Moon supermoon
• September 17, 2024 — Harvest Moon supermoon (with partial lunar eclipse)
• November 25, 2023 — Beaver Moon supermoon
• August 30, 2023 — second Blue Moon supermoon of 2023
• November 14, 2016 — closest supermoon since 1948 at 356,508 km

How to observe

NASA's Daily Moon Guide, EarthSky and Sky & Telescope publish exact moonrise/set times for thousands of cities. Stellarium and SkySafari give precise local timings. Major observatories (Griffith in LA, the Royal Observatory Greenwich, Kitt Peak) host supermoon evenings; the Virtual Telescope Project streams the supermoon over Rome.

Related countdowns

The January supermoon is the first of three 2026 supermoons; pair with Supermoon November 2026 and Supermoon December 2026. The Quadrantid meteor shower 2026 peaks the night before. See also Comet 3I/ATLAS spring 2026 visibility.

FAQ

When is the January 2026 supermoon? Saturday, January 3, 2026, with the Moon full all night. Why is it called a Wolf Moon? Algonquin and other Northeastern Native American traditions named January's full moon for the wolves heard in long winter nights. How much bigger does a supermoon look? About 7% larger and 15% brighter than an average full moon — the difference is real but subtle. Where is the best place to watch? An eastern horizon at moonrise, then anywhere with an open southern view as the Moon climbs through the night.