Wolf Moon: January's Full Moon Explained
The Wolf Moon is the full moon traditionally associated with January. In 2027, it reaches its full phase on January 22 and is also a supermoon—the closest full moon of the year.
The name is commonly linked with wolves howling during the depths of winter. While wolves don’t actually howl at the Moon (sorry to break it you) howling is a form of long-distance communication, and it can become more frequent around the winter breeding season.
Wolf Moon 2027
- Full moon
- January 22
- Exact time
- 7:17 AM EST
- Moonrise
- 5:24 PM
- Look toward
- East-Northeast
- Special feature
- Supermoon
When is the Wolf Moon?
The Wolf Moon is January’s full moon. In 2027, the Moon will reach its full phase on January 22 at 7:17 a.m. EST, or 4:17 a.m. PST. Check the fact sheet above for the exact time in your location.
For most viewers in North America, the best opportunity will be the night of January 21 into the morning of January 22. The Moon will also look nearly full when it rises again on the evening of January 22.
Wolf Moon dates by year
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Thu, January 25 |
| 2025 | Mon, January 13 |
| 2026 | Sat, January 3 |
| 2027 | Fri, January 22 |
| 2028 | Tue, January 11 |
| 2029 | Tue, January 30 |
| 2030 | Sat, January 19 |
| 2031 | Wed, January 8 |
| 2032 | Tue, January 27 |
| 2033 | Sat, January 15 |
Times shown in ET
Why is it called the Wolf Moon?
The usual explanation is that wolves were more noticeable on cold, quiet nights in January, when their calls could carry over long distances. The name was eventually standardized as January’s full-moon name in modern North American almanacs, although its exact historical origin isn’t clear.
Wolves howl throughout the year and for several reasons. They use howls to locate separated pack members, gather the pack, and warn other wolves away. Howling often increases during the winter breeding season, which may help explain why the sound became attached to this part of the calendar.
Other seasonal calendars focus on different winter wildlife. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation calls this period *Kchemko Gises*, or Big Bear Moon, marking the time when bears are living from stored fat in their dens and cubs are being born.
Why the 2027 Wolf Moon is a supermoon
The Moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a perfect circle. Its distance changes throughout the month, and the closest point in each orbit is called perigee. In January 2027, the Moon passes perigee on January 21 at 4:49 p.m. EST, or 1:49 p.m. PST, about 14½ hours before the full phase.
At full moon, it will be about 358,000 kilometers (222,000 miles) from the center of Earth. Its apparent diameter will be roughly 14 percent greater than July’s Buck Moon, the most distant full moon of 2027. That sounds dramatic on paper, but the size difference is difficult to judge without seeing the two moons side by side.