Get ready for a celestial spectacle that will leave you in awe! This weekend, the night sky is putting on a show you won’t want to miss. On Saturday night, the full Wolf Moon will grace the heavens, and just a few degrees away, the mighty Jupiter will shine brightly, creating a breathtaking duo. But here’s where it gets even more fascinating: this is the final supermoon of a series that began in October, and we won’t see another until November. So, mark your calendars and look up!
Posted 1/4/2026, 3:14:13 AM | Updated 1/4/2026, 3:19:08 AM
By Tony Rice, NASA Ambassador
After days of cloudy skies, the heavens have finally cleared, revealing the full Wolf Moon, the last of four supermoons that have illuminated our nights since October (https://www.wral.com/news/local/supermoon-october-2025/). This lunar event is a perfect opportunity to appreciate the beauty of our night sky before we enter a supermoon hiatus until November.
And this is the part most people miss: January’s full Moon isn’t just any ordinary moon—it’s known as the Wolf Moon, a name rooted in the rich traditions of the Algonquin people. Legend has it that the howls of wolves during the long, cold midwinter nights inspired this moniker, popularized by The Old Farmer’s Almanac. It’s a reminder of how nature and culture intertwine in our understanding of the cosmos.
Now, let’s talk about Jupiter, the bright object to the right of the Moon. With a small telescope or even a steady pair of binoculars, you can spot Jupiter’s four largest moons, known as the Galilean moons. To the left of the Moon, you’ll find Castor and Pollux, the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini, forming a striking L shape in the January sky. Jupiter will remain a faithful companion to these stars throughout the month, offering plenty of opportunities to observe this celestial trio.
But here’s where it gets controversial: While we’re marveling at the supermoon and Jupiter, Earth is quietly reaching its perihelion, the point in its orbit when it’s closest to the Sun. Yes, you read that right—even if it’s cold and rainy outside, Earth is actually closer to the Sun today than at any other time of the year. This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s a perfect example of how Earth’s axial tilt, not its distance from the Sun, drives our seasons. The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun during winter, spreading sunlight over a larger area and causing cooler temperatures.
Over the next few months, Earth will gradually move farther from the Sun, reaching a distance about 3 million miles greater by early July. While that sounds like a lot, it’s only a 3 percent change in Earth’s distance from the Sun. So, the next time someone blames the cold weather on Earth being far from the Sun, you’ll know the real story!
Happy Perihelion! Let’s celebrate this cosmic milestone while enjoying the supermoon and Jupiter’s grandeur. And here’s a thought-provoking question for you: Does knowing Earth is closest to the Sun during winter change how you think about the seasons? Share your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear your perspective!
More on this: Final supermoons of 2025
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