The wolf moon, the first full moon of the year, will ring in 2026, gracing the sky this weekend, but the lunar event will make the Quadrantid meteor shower a bit harder to spot.<\/p>\n
The silvery orb will start to look large in the sky around New Year\u2019s Eve and will reach peak illumination at 5:03 a.m. ET Saturday, according to The Old Farmer\u2019s Almanac<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe day before January 3 and the day after, the moon will appear full,\u201d said Noah Petro, chief of NASA\u2019s Planetary, Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Laboratory at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.<\/p>\n As a result of the wolf moon\u2019s brightness from reflected sunlight, viewing the Quadrantid meteor shower won\u2019t be easy.<\/p>\n The Quadrantids will reach peak activity from 4 to 7 p.m. ET Saturday, according to Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society. However, the best viewing will be from midnight to dawn ET Sunday, Lunsford said.<\/p>\n One of the year\u2019s three supermoons<\/p>\n January\u2019s wolf moon will also be 2026\u2019s first supermoon, which generally indicates a full moon that\u2019s closer than normal to Earth and seems larger and brighter in the sky. The wintry orb will be one of the three closest moons to Earth this year, with the cold moon in December expected to be the closest, according to Petro.<\/p>\n However, Petro noted the difference between a supermoon and a full moon is subtle. \u201cYou have to be looking to see it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n To help spot the differences, NASA offers an animation depicting the lunar phases for 2026<\/a>, allowing sky watchers to visualize the moon throughout the year.<\/p>\n For optimal viewing, local conditions allowing, you don\u2019t need special glasses \u2014 you can safely observe the moon with your eyes or use a telescope or binoculars for a closer look, Petro said. It\u2019s ideal to find a dark place with a clear view of the horizon, but if that\u2019s not possible, your favorite beach or hangout spot works, too.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing in a place that is meaningful and enjoying the full moon makes it that much more special,\u201d Petro added.<\/p>\n An eye on the moon and a future mission<\/p>\n With NASA\u2019s Artemis II expected to send a four-person crew around the moon as soon as early February, Petro encourages people to observe Earth\u2019s closest celestial neighbor in the lead-up to the highly anticipated mission. It will mark the first time astronauts venture beyond near-Earth orbit in more than 50 years.<\/p>\n \u201cGo out and look up and just become awestruck\u201d at January\u2019s supermoon, he said.<\/p>\n As you take in the orb, you can imagine what it might be like for the Artemis II astronauts, who if successful could fly by the moon and see its far side. Petro, who leads the science team of NASA\u2019s Artemis III mission, explained that these astronauts will be looking at features that we can\u2019t see on Earth.<\/p>\n Petro recommends that sky-gazers start their own mental countdown to Artemis II, suggesting that folks \u201cpay attention to the phases of the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n How January\u2019s full moon got its name<\/p>\n January\u2019s wolf moon is named for the increased howling of wolves during this time of year, according to The Old Farmer\u2019s Almanac<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe describe names to full moons based on what is happening around that time,\u201d Petro added.<\/p>\n The origin of the name comes from the Sioux language, which describes this moon as \u201cwolves run together.\u201d<\/p>\n Alternative names come from other Indigenous tribes<\/a>, such as mkokisis, meaning \u201cmoon of the bear\u201d to the Potawatomi people, and wiotehika wi, meaning \u201chard moon\u201d to the Lakota.<\/p>\n Moonlight will be a challenge for meteor watchers<\/p>\n The Quadrantid meteor shower will be active through January 16.<\/p>\n The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Bo\u00f6tes, also known as the herdsman, the American Meteor Society\u2019s Lunsford said via email. The region was once called Quadrans Muralis, which is how the Quadrantids got their name, he added.<\/p>\n With the full moon at 100 per cent illumination this weekend, a great majority of the activity will be obscured by the bright moonlight, Lunsford said. However, he suggested you could increase your chances by facing northeast with the bright moon at your back.<\/p>\n With clear skies, he said, you could see up to five Quadrantid meteors per hour and possibly another five random meteors.<\/p>\n Lunsford noted the Quadrantids tend to travel at \u201cmedium velocity with the brightest ones showing persistent trails that last for a few seconds after the meteor has disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n The Quadrantids are known for producing bright fireballs. However, if you are in North America, the odds of seeing the Quadrantids\u2019 fireballs are slim, according to Lunsford. But don\u2019t worry if you miss this meteor shower. There will be plenty of others in 2026.<\/p>\n Around August 12-13, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak, and conditions should be ideal for viewing, with dark skies thanks to a new moon, according to EarthSky<\/a>.<\/p>\n Upcoming meteor showers<\/p>\n After the peak of the Quadrantids, sky-gazers will have to wait until the Lyrid meteor shower in April.<\/p>\n Here are the dates for the rest of the meteor showers peaking in 2026, according to the American Meteor Society<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lyrids: April 21-22Eta Aquariids: May 5-6Southern Delta Aquariids: July 30-31Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31Perseids: August 12-13Orionids: October 21-22Southern Taurids: November 4-5Northern Taurids: November 11-12Leonids: November 16-17Geminids: December 13-14Ursids: December 21-22Upcoming full moons<\/p>\n