News: The first supermoon of 2026, commonly called the Wolf Moon, illuminated the night skies over India, the United States, and many other parts of the world on January 3.
About Wolf Supermoon
- A wolf supermoon is a full moon in January that occurs when the Moon is near perigee, its closest point to Earth.
- Wolf supermoons are relatively uncommon and occur only when the January full moon aligns with a supermoon.
- Meaning of the Wolf Moon: The term “wolf moon” refers to the traditional name for the January full moon.
- What Is a Supermoon: A supermoon is an astronomical event that takes place when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth.
- The Moon travels around Earth in an elliptical orbit rather than a perfect circle. When the Moon is near perigee, it appears slightly larger and brighter than a typical full moon.
- Change in Size and Brightness: During a wolf supermoon, the Moon can appear up to 14 % larger and about 30 % brighter than when it is at apogee.
- The difference in size and brightness is real but subtle and is easier to notice in photographs than by casual observation.
- As the Moon rises or sets, it may appear orange or reddish due to atmospheric filtering of light.
- When the Moon is higher in the sky, it usually appears bright white.
- A common visual effect during a supermoon is the moon illusion, which makes the moon appear larger near the horizon.
- The moon illusion is caused by human perception of distance and scale rather than any physical change in the Moon.
