NASA: Peak of 'Wolf Moon' to peak Wednesday evening

The first full moon of 2025, referred to as the Wolf Moon, will peak on Monday, reaching its peak illumination early in the early evening, officials said.

The moon will appear full over three days, ending Wednesday morning.

"According to [Maine's Farmers] almanac, as the full moon in January this is the Wolf Moon, from the packs of wolves heard howling outside the villages amid the cold and deep snows of winter," NASA said.

The name is derived from Native American heritage.

"European names for this Moon include the Ice Moon, the Old Moon, and [as the full Moon after winter solstice] the Moon after Yule. Yule was a three to 12-day festival near the winter solstice in pre-Christian Europe," NASA said.

NASA added in many lunar and lunisolar calendars the months change with the new moon and full moons come in the middle of the lunar month. The New Moon, which comes on Jan. 29, will be the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake.