The first full moon of 2026, known as the Wolf Moon, appeared on Saturday (January 3), and skywatchers captured stunning photos of it.
The wolf moon’s name is of both Native American and Anglo-Saxon origin, and likely derives from the idea that the howls of hungry wolves are easier to hear near midwinter.
The full moon in January this year was also a supermoon, appearing brighter and larger than usual. In fact, you won’t have a chance to see a moon this big and bright until November. Photographers across the northern hemisphere took out their cameras to capture the glory of our neighbor. See some of its best snaps below.
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The Wolf Supermoon will set over London’s Richmond Park in the early morning hours of January 3rd. (Image credit: Henry NICHOLLS/AFP, Getty Images)
The Wolf Supermoon will set behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City at sunrise on January 3rd. (Image credit: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
On January 3rd, the Wolf Supermoon will appear over the Cairo Citadel in Egypt. (Image credit: Sayed Hassan/Getty Images)
The Wolf Moon rises over the historic English town of Glastonbury behind the still-lit Christmas lights. (Image credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Also in Glastonbury, a photographer captured the Wolf Moon appearing to rest above the tower of St Michael’s Church. (Image credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
The Wolf Moon rises behind a building in Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province, China on January 3rd. (Image credit: Wang Jianmin/VCG, Getty Images)
On January 3rd, the Wolf Moon will appear in the sky over Casablanca, Morocco. (Image credit: Paul ELLIS / AFP, Getty Images)
The Wolf Moon rose over a field in Devon, England, on the night of January 3rd, with clear skies and a spectacular view. (Image credit: Diogo Baptista/SOPA Images/LightRocket, Getty Images)
The Wolf Moon will rise over Chicago on January 2nd. (Image credit: Stephen Chung / Alamy Live News)
On January 3, the Wolf Moon rises above the skyscrapers of Madrid’s Four Towers business district. (Image credit: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket, Getty Images)
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