Wolf Moon: How and when to see January’s full moon glow next to Mars

On By Littum

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will travel 1.8 billion miles to study Jupiter’s moon Europa, which is believed to have a global ocean of elements essential for life. (Video: NASA)

Monday night marks the next full moon, and with it comes an extra surprise for stargazers.

A full moon in January is called a wolf moon because of the wolf packs that, according to NASA, were heard howling at the Moon outside villages in the winter in decades past.

The moon will rise around 5:27 PM ET, shortly after sunset on Monday, January 13th.

The moon will be most visible around midnight Monday night, when it is directly overhead, according to EarthSky.

The Wolf Moon will also pass in front of the planet Mars, giving viewers of the Moon a chance to see the bright red planet.

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 2: The Moon rises with Mars behind Lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City, one day after the full Harvest Moon on October 1, 2020, as seen from Newark, New Jersey.

NEWARK, NJ – OCTOBER 2: The Moon rises with Mars behind Lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City, one day after the full Harvest Moon on October 1, 2020, as seen from Newark, New Jersey.

(Gary Hershorn)

Mars is currently the biggest and brightest it will be in 2025, EarthSky reports.

If you see the Wolf Moon and hope to catch a glimpse of Mars, EarthSky recommends blocking the right half of the Moon with a distant object so you can try to see past the moonlight.

After Monday, the next full moon is on February 12, and it’s called the Snow Moon.