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Jan Harris
Deputy Group Editor
1:00 AM 11th January 2025
nature

The Howling Wolves In January

Image by Frauke Riether from Pixabay
Image by Frauke Riether from Pixabay
We are now in the year 2025 and the first full moon in the month of January is the Wolf Moon which rises on the evening of Monday 13 January.

Photo by Cam Adams on Unsplash
Photo by Cam Adams on Unsplash
Wolves howl to communicate, generally to define territory but it was believed that they howled during the winter because they were hungry. During the breeding season the wolves are particularly loud and hungry packs of wolves would howl outside their camps, which is probably why people associate the month of January with the howling of wolves. Howling of wolves in the winter is possibly to locate members of theie pack, define their territory and co-ordinate hunding. Wolves are nocturnal animals and so they probably howl towards the sky and the moon for better acoustics.

Tips for seeing a full moon

Moons rise in the east and set in the west
If viewing from inside your house it is best to turn off lights so as to view the night sky
If outside it is best to go somewhere high so you can see the moon rise above the horizon
Viewing outside is the best and away from street lights and light pollution


Why different names?

Image by Imstudio1989 from Pixabay
Image by Imstudio1989 from Pixabay
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, other names for the January full moon are Moon after Yule, Old Moon, Ice Moon or Centre Moon.

The names given to the full moons during the year are derived from the North American tribes who centuries ago kept track of the changing seasons by giving the full moons distinctive names depending on the time of year.

Every month of the year there is a full moon which illuminates the sky, each of which is given a different name.

These names are now included into our modern calendar. However the full moon names we now use also have Anglo-Saxon and Germanic roots.

Different types of moons

Blue Moon – when a full moon occurs twice in the same month
Harvest Moon – this is around the autumnal equinox when farmers do most of their harvesting
Supermoon – Supermoons are said to appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual.
Blood Moon – occurs during a total lunar eclipse


Why a full moon?

Full moons occur every 29.5 days or so as the moon moves to the side of the earth directly opposite the sun, reflecting the sun's rays off its full face and appearing as a brilliant, perfectly circular disk.

A full moon occurs when the moon's earth-facing side is completely illuminated by the sun. Scientists say that when you see the moon looking really large as it rises in the sky your brain is actually playing a trick on you.

There are many reasons as to why this is, but the main theory is that when the moon is low on the horizon it can be compared to earthly things, like buildings and trees, and this is why it seems huge.

photo by Rob Harris
photo by Rob Harris
Full moons in 2025

13 January - Wolf moon
12 February - Snow moon
14 March - Worm moon
12 April - Pink moon
12 May - Flower moon
11 June - Strawberry moon
10 July - Buck moon
9 August - Sturgeon moon
7 September - Corn moon
6 October - Harvest moon
5 November - Beaver moon
4 December - Cold moon



There are a total of 12 full moon phases during the annual lunar cycle plus the occasional Blue Moon and each full moon has a unique name, which is tied to the changing seasons, behaviour of the plants, animals, or weather during that month and reflects the landscape around us.

Supermoons

In 2025 we will have the priviledge of seeing three consecutive supermoons in October, November and December.

Phases of the Moon

Image by Syaibatul Hamdi from Pixabay
Image by Syaibatul Hamdi from Pixabay
The moon has different phases from the new moon to full moon. The phases are determined by the position of the sun, earth and moon. A new moon is when the moon is between the earth and the sun so the side facing the earth is in darkness. A full moon is when it is on the opposite side of the earth to the sun so the near side of the moon is lit up making it a full moon.

Moon Folklore

A bright first Moon promises rain and a bountiful harvest; a red-tinted Moon means a dry year.
A growing Moon and a flowing tide are lucky times to marry.
A halo around the Moon predicts wet or stormy weather.


The next full moon will rise on Wednesday 12 February and is the Snow Moon.