Stargazers don’t have long to wait until the first full Moon of the year lights up our skies.
A full Moon occurs when the side of the Moon facing the Earth is fully illuminated by the Sun. It rises around sunset and sets around sunrise.
The next full Moon will be on Monday, January 13 2025. It will reach its full Moon phase at 10:26 pm GMT, but local moonrise times will vary depending on where you are in the UK.
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The same side of the Moon always faces Earth. NASA says this is due to the interplay of gravity between the Earth and Moon slowing the moon into a rotation at the same speed it orbits Earth – a process known as being ‘tidally locked’.
Throughout the lunar month, Moon-watchers see the terminator (the line between the lit and shadowed sides of the moon) move across the Moon’s surface. During a full Moon, the Earth-facing side of the moon is fully lit.
Why is it called the ‘Wolf Moon’?
The Wolf Moon describes the second full Moon of winter and the first of the year. The name ‘Wolf Moon’ is believed to have originated from North American Indigenous nations when wolves would have been heard howling in the night.
The ‘Wolf Moon’ is the first full Moon of the new year -Credit:Getty Images
“The January Full Moon is known as the Wolf Moon by some European cultures due to the evocative calls of wolves as they search for food in the depth of winter,” according to Dr. Darren Baskill, an astrophysicist from the University of Sussex.
“Wolves were hunted to extinction in the UK just 250 years ago, being Britain’s last apex predator to go extinct,” Baskill told BBC Science Focus. “But their presence is still remembered today through the oral tradition of the names of the Full Moon.”
Each month’s full Moon is given a name. For example, June has a ‘Strawberry Moon’ and September has a ‘Corn Moon’.
Full Moon schedule for the rest of 2025
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Monday, January 13 — Wolf Moon
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Wednesday, February 12 — Snow Moon
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Friday, March 14 — Worm Moon
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Saturday, April 12 — Pink Moon
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Monday, May 12 — Flower Moon
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Wednesday, June 11 — Strawberry Moon
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Thursday, July 10 — Buck Moon
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Saturday, August 9 — Sturgeon Moon
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Sunday, September 7 — Corn Moon
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Monday, October 6 — Hunter’s Moon (Supermoon)
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Wednesday, November 5 — Beaver Moon (Supermoon)
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Thursday, December 4 — Cold Moon (Supermoon)