The first full moon of 2017, known traditionally as the wolf moon, will be visible both tonight and Friday night, with its crest near dawn Friday.
January’s full moon was named the wolf moon by Native American tribes because of the wolf packs that would roam the area looking for food during the winter months. January was traditionally the scarcest time for food gathering, so the wolves would often howl in their hunger, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
In warmer climates, the January full moon is known as the Old Moon, Moon After Yule, or Hay Moon, according to Space.com.
A full moon occurs every 29.53 days when the sun, moon, and Earth all line up with Earth in the middle.
The moon will reach its full phase at 6:34 a.m. Friday, but will appear to be full both Thursday and Friday nights to most viewers. Between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday will be the best time to see the wolf moon, according to EarthSky.org.
NJ.com further suggests viewing the moon as it first begins to rise at 5:26 p.m. Thursday.
For those in areas where the moon can’t be seen, like cloudy areas, big cities with lots of buildings, or densely wooded areas, Slooh.com will have a free podcast where you can watch the moon from the comfort of your couch or computer desk.
February’s moon, which will occur Feb.10, is known as the Snow Moon, the Farmer's Almanac states, suggesting that winter weather may stick around for a while.
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