Catch the First Full Moon of 2024 and Welcome the January Meteor Shower!

January’s lunar cycle and a meteor shower mark the initiation of 2025.

Here are insights on what to expect for the month.

When is the upcoming full moon?

The inaugural full moon of 2025, referred to as a wolf moon, will take place on Jan. 13, at 5:26 p.m., as indicated by TimeandDate.com.

Prior to the full moon, a first quarter moon will occur on Jan. 6 at 6:56 a.m., succeeded by a last quarter moon on Jan. 21 at 3:31 p.m. and a new moon on Jan. 29 at 7:36 a.m., according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

What does wolf moon signify?

The wolf moon, believed to have roots in Celtic and Old English culture, derives its name from the wolves that are more active during the colder months.

The January full moon is also referred to as the “stay home moon,” “quiet moon,” “harsh moon,” “center moon,” or “moon after Yule,” according to Celtic and Native American beliefs, as noted by TimeandDate.com.

Numerous full moons carry folklore associated with them. Various traditions reported by The Old Farmer’s Almanac include:

• A luminous first moon indicates prospects of rainfall and good harvests, whereas a red-hued moon predicts a dry year ahead.

• A ring around the moon forecasts wet or stormy conditions.

• An increasing moon and rising tides are considered opportune times for marriage.

Quadrantid meteor shower

The Quadrantid meteor shower heralds the start of the new year.

This is among the limited number of annual meteor showers that have a brief but intense peak. The Quadrantids will persist for roughly six hours, despite the shower spanning from mid-November to mid-January.

The optimal night to observe the Quadrantids is Jan. 2 into Jan. 3, as reported by EarthSky.

The waxing crescent moon will not obstruct the meteor shower viewing. The radiant point of the Quadrantids stems from the now-defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis, which is currently positioned near the Big Dipper. This radiant point will ascend in the north to northeast post-midnight and reach its zenith before dawn.

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The parent comet for the Quadrantids is yet to be solved

for numerous years, until an asteroid designated 2003 EH1 was identified as the primary entity giving rise to the meteor shower.

It is thought to be a quiescent or extinct comet, located by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search situated near Flagstaff, Arizona, on March 6, 2003. As reported by EarthSky, the asteroid completes an orbit around the sun in five and a half years.

Currently, astronomers have detected a second entity they suspect is associated with the Quadrantids: Comet 96P/Machholz. This object results in a less vigorous and more subdued peak, with materials observed traversing the sky that departed from this comet centuries ago. Comet 96P/Machholz circles the sun every 5.3 years, approaching Earth most recently in late January of 2023.

Experts believe additional objects may be connected to the Quadrantid meteor shower; however, annual investigations have yet to lead to the identification of a new object.

Full moon in February

The upcoming full moon, known as the snow moon, is set to be visible on Feb. 12 at 8:53 a.m., as per TimeandDate.com.

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This full moon is named for the snow covering the ground in the Northern Hemisphere. Alternate titles for the February full moon include “hunger moon,” “storm moon,” “bald eagle moon,” and “bear moon,” among others, in various Indigenous and Native American traditions.

Do you have a tip or a story suggestion? Reach out to Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.