Here’s one for my fellow astronomy nerds. The first full moon of 2021 is on the way and it has quite possibly the coolest name of them all.

The so-called “Wolf Moon” will make its debut on Thursday, January 28. It will reach peak illumination at 1:18 P.M. CST. Obviously, we won’t be able to see it until sunset but, we’ll still get a pretty good view of it, weather permitting. The moon will rise at 6:02 P.M. in the northeast here in Wichita Falls and will set at 7:43 A.M. in the northwest.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, it’s believed that the full moon got its name because wolves are often heard howling more this time of year. The name “Wolf Moon” was assigned to the January full moon by Algonquin tribes who inhabited what is now the eastern and northern United States, according NASA.

Some of the other names for the January full moon refer to it appearing during the dead of winter. The Algonquin also refer to it as the “Freeze Up Moon.” The Cree call it the “Cold Moon” and “Frost Exploding Moon,” while the Dakota traditionally call it the “Severe Moon” and “Hard Moon.”

Learn more about the January full moon and get some interesting facts about the moon in the below video.

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