January’s Wolf Supermoon: Timing, Visibility, and Jupiter Alignment

The 2026 Wolf Supermoon will rise alongside Jupiter, offering a rare celestial pairing visible to the naked eye. The first full moon of 2026 will reach its fullest phase at 5:02 a.m. EST on January 3.

This supermoon will be 225,130 miles (362,312 km) from Earth, approximately 93% of its average distance. Observers will see the moonrise with Jupiter positioned to its right and the star Pollux in the Gemini constellation to its left.

The term "Wolf Moon" originates from historical naming conventions documented by the Old Farmer’s Almanac, reflecting patterns of wolf howling during cold winter nights.

Other names for this moon include the Cold Moon and the Moon After Yule. This event marks the fourth consecutive supermoon of the year, with the next occurring as the Snow Moon on February 1.

While the Wolf Supermoon coincides with Earth’s perihelion—its closest approach to the sun at 91.4 million miles—these two phenomena are unrelated. The moon’s supermoon status is determined by its proximity to Earth, not its position relative to the sun.

The perihelion, occurring on December 21, contributes to the moon’s high arc in Northern Hemisphere skies, enhancing visibility for observers in this region.

The supermoon’s perigee proximity will make the moon appear slightly larger and brighter than an average full moon.

However, the difference in size is minimal, with the moon’s apparent diameter increasing by about 7% compared to a full moon at apogee.

The brightness increase is more noticeable, with the supermoon appearing up to 30% brighter due to the inverse-square law of light intensity.