The new year is in full swing, and the first full moon of 2022 will officially occur on Jan. 17 at 6:48 p.m. EST.
Even if you can’t see the moon at that time, it’ll still be big and bright the night before and the night after, on Jan. 16 and 18.
There are typically 12 full moons in a single year, and each one has a unique name.
January’s full moon is known as the Wolf Moon. The full moon’s name originates from Native American or Anglo-Saxon sources, according to the BBC, to mark the time of year that wolves were at their loudest.
Names for the monthly full moons may differ from tribe to tribe. January’s full moon has also been called the Cold Moon and Freeze Moon, referring to the temperatures of the season.
The Full Wolf Moon simply is the first of many impressive lunar events in 2021.
The next winter full moon, the Snow Moon, will appear on Feb. 16, followed by the full Worm Moon in March and the full Pink Moon in April.
That last full moon name surprisingly has nothing to do with the moon’s color.
In May, however, the moon will change colors as nearly everyone in North America will be able to witness a total lunar eclipse.
Supermoons in Summer 2022
In the summer months, we’ll have three supermoons, on June 14, July 13, and Aug. 11.
Supermoons occur when the full moon happens during a point in the moon’s orbit when it’s closer to earth than it is on average. It isn’t a scientific term, but it’s exciting to see because the moon looks brighter and larger than usual.
Later in the year in November, most of North America will have a second chance to see another total lunar eclipse.
Throughout 2022, we’ll have plenty more reasons to look up, including a number of meteor showers, two solar eclipses only visible outside of North America, and more.
Follow Meteorologist Jason Meyers on Twitter or watch one of his entertaining and educational YouTube videos.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
