Full Wolf Moon: When to see the first full Moon of 2024 this week
The last full Moon was on Dec. 26, and since the lunar body's full cycle lasts 29.5 days, the next full Moon will occur before January is up. According to the Farmers' Almanac, the nickname originates from the time period when Native Americans noticed wolves howling in hunger at the Moon.
2024 Moon phases for the Northern Hemisphere
NASA produced rendering of the Moon's phases during 2024.
The first full Moon of 2024 will light up the night's sky on Thursday if weather conditions are clear.
The lunar body is scheduled to peak in illumination at 12:54 p.m. ET, meaning the U.S. will have to wait until after sunset to see the Moon in all its glory.
According to the Farmers' Almanac, the nickname originates from the time period when Native Americans noticed wolves howling in hunger at the Moon.
WATCH OUT FOR THESE ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS IN 2024
The FOX Forecast Center expects clouds and rain to hinder viewing for most of the U.S., with active weather systems in both the East and the West.
Due to warm air, most of the precipitation will fall in the liquid variety, but in higher elevations, snow will be possible.
2024 Wolf Full Moon
(Virtual Telescope Project / FOX Weather)
For early risers, Mercury, Venus and Mars will all be briefly visible before sunrise on Friday.
Over time, nicknames such as the Center Moon, Cold Moon, Ice Moon and the Great Moon have gained popularity to describe the annual event.
If you miss seeing the Moon on Thursday, astronomers say it'll appear just as bright through the last weekend of January.
SEE THE OBJECTS HUMANS LEFT BEHIND ON THE MOON
Since the lunar body's full cycle lasts 29.5 days, the next full Moon will occur before meteorological winter ends.
The next full Moon won't happen until Feb. 24. February's event is known as the full Snow Moon.
The lunar body will be at one of its furthest points from Earth and will appear dimmer and smaller than the Wolf Moon.
When the moon is more than 250,000 miles away from Earth, it is considered to a micromoon.
A wolf in the moon glows in the dark at Frankfurt's Palmengarten. From December 10, 2022 to January 8, 2023, illuminations will transform the Palmengarten into a special, glowing garden landscape as night falls. Light objects, sound and video installations turn a walk through the park on long winter evenings into an extraordinary experience.
(Photo by Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images / FOX Weather)