Wolf Moon supermoon dazzles as 2026's first celestial spectacle

The first full moon of 2026, known as the Wolf Moon, will light up the sky this week. This year's event is special—it will also be a supermoon, appearing up to 30% brighter and 14% larger than usual. Viewers on the East Coast can catch it rising around sunset on January 2, with peak brightness early the next morning.

The Wolf Moon gets its name from old traditions tied to winter. Early Anglo-Saxon and Indigenous stories linked it to wolves howling in the cold January nights. However, the term itself does not come from most Native American tribes. Instead, groups like the Algonquian called it the Snow Moon, while the Cherokee referred to it as the Cold Moon.

This supermoon marks the last in a series of four consecutive close approaches by the moon. The next supermoon won't happen until November 24, 2026. On January 3, Jupiter will shine just four degrees to the moon's right, with Saturn and the Beehive star cluster also visible nearby.

The Wolf Moon reaches its brightest point at 5:03 a.m. EST on January 3. Its larger, more brilliant appearance comes from the moon's closer orbit to Earth. After this event, the next supermoon will not arrive for nearly a year.