Look to the sky and howl at Friday's "Wolf Moon"
MIAMI - January's full moon will light up the sky on Friday and will be visible all around the world.
It will reach peak illumination around 6:07 p.m., rising in the east as the sun sets in the US.
The full moon is considered a micromoon because it appears slightly smaller than normal in our sky and will be at nearly its farthest point from Earth in orbit, about 252,145 miles away, according to EarthSky. But the moon will still be very bright. A second micromoon is expected in February.
It is known as the wolf moon, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. January was associated with wolves howling outside of villages and being more active in winter, according to the Almanac. The Sioux tribe's name for January's full moon means "wolves run together," according to a guide compiled at Western Washington University.
Wintry-sounding names for January's full moon vary across Native American tribes. The Cheyenne call it the moon of the strong cold, while the Kalapuya know it as atalka, which means "stay inside." The Haida tribe in Alaska calls it the bear hunting moon, and the Passamaquoddy tribe of the Northeast US knows it as the whirling wind moon.
Anglo-Saxon culture refers to it as the Moon after Yule, the ancient winter solstice festival, according to NASA.
Full moons and supermoons
Most years, there are 12 full moons - one for each month. But in 2023, there will be 13 full moons, with two in August.
The second full moon in one month is known as a blue moon, like the phrase "once in a blue moon," according to NASA. Typically, full moons occur every 29 days, while most months in our calendar last 30 or 31 days, so the months and moon phases don't always align. This results in a blue moon about every 2½ years.
The two full moons in August can also be considered supermoons, according to EarthSky. Definitions of a supermoon vary, but the term generally denotes a full moon that is brighter and closer to Earth than normal and thus appears larger in the night sky.
Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee - its closest approach to Earth in orbit. By that definition, the full moon for July will also be considered a supermoon event, according to EarthSky.
Here is the list of remaining full moons for 2023, according to the Farmer's Almanac:
February 5: Snow moon
March 7: Worm moon
April 6: Pink moon
May 5: Flower moon
June 3: Strawberry moon
July 3: Buck moon
August 1: Sturgeon moon
August 30: Blue moon
September 29: Harvest moon
October 28: Hunter's moon
November 27: Beaver moon
December 26: Cold moon
While these are the popularized names associated with the monthly full moons, each one carries its own significance across Native American tribes, with many also referred to by differing names.
