The January Full Moon
Wolf Moon
January's full moon, named for wolves heard howling in the deep cold.
The next Wolf Moon is full on Friday, January 22, 2027 at 10:05 UTC. It is a supermoon — full near the Moon's closest approach to Earth, so a touch larger and brighter than usual.
Why it's called the Wolf Moon
The Wolf Moon takes its name from the wolves once heard howling through the long, hungry nights of midwinter — a sound early European and Native American communities alike linked to January's hardest cold.
January's full moon rises over the year's deepest dark, when food is scarce and the land is locked in frost. The name evokes wolves calling across snow — not, as the old myth went, from hunger alone, but to mark territory and gather the pack through winter.
Older English almanacs also called it the Old Moon or the Moon After Yule, tying it to the turning of the new year. However you name it, it is the first full moon of the calendar — a bright, cold beginning.
January's full moon is also known as the Old Moon, the Moon After Yule, the Ice Moon.
Watching the Wolf Moon
A full moon rises in the east around sunset and stays up all night, setting near sunrise — so any clear evening close to Fri, January 22 you can watch it climb once it gets dark. It looks biggest and most golden in the first hour after it rises, sitting low on the horizon.
Photographing it? A full moon is flatly lit and shows little crater relief — frame it against a landscape, hills or skyline just after moonrise for scale and warm colour. For sharp crater detail, shoot a night or two before or after full, when shadows return along the terminator.
Because the 2027 Wolf Moon is a supermoon, it appears slightly larger and up to about 15% brighter than an average full moon — most striking as it rises near the horizon.
Wolf Moon dates
| Year | Date (UTC) | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sat, January 3 | 07:13 |
| 2027 | Fri, January 22 · Super | 10:05 |
| 2028 | Wed, January 12 · Super | 04:14 |
| 2029 | Tue, January 30 | 08:09 |
| 2030 | Sat, January 19 | 18:45 |
Times are UTC, computed from lunar geometry — local clock times vary by your time zone.
Frequently Asked
When is the Wolf Moon in 2027?
The Wolf Moon in 2027 is full on Friday, January 22, 2027 at 10:05 UTC. It is the full moon of January.
Why is it called the Wolf Moon?
The Wolf Moon takes its name from the wolves once heard howling through the long, hungry nights of midwinter — a sound early European and Native American communities alike linked to January's hardest cold.
What else is the January full moon called?
Besides the Wolf Moon, January's full moon is also known as the Old Moon, the Moon After Yule, the Ice Moon.
Is the Wolf Moon a supermoon in 2027?
Yes — the 2027 Wolf Moon on Friday, January 22, 2027 is a supermoon: the full moon falls near the Moon's closest approach to Earth, so it looks slightly larger and brighter than usual.