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First Full Moon of 2026 Is a Super 'Wolf Moon' on January 3

Peaking at 10:03 GMT near perigee, the Moon should appear slightly bigger and brighter, with glare likely to mute the Quadrantids.

Overview

  • The Wolf Moon reaches maximum fullness on Saturday, January 3 at 10:03 GMT, with INAOE reporting a 362,282 km geocentric distance that qualifies it as a supermoon.
  • It will be easily visible to the naked eye wherever skies are clear, including across Mexico, with darker, low‑light locales offering the best views.
  • Outlets cite National Geographic estimates that a supermoon can look about 6% larger and roughly 13% brighter than an average full moon.
  • The timing coincides with the Quadrantid meteor shower, and forecasters expect moonlight to significantly reduce the number of visible meteors.
  • The spectacle opens a busy 2026 sky calendar that includes two solar and two lunar eclipses confirmed by Argentina’s Servicio de Hidrografía Naval.