The first full moon of 2025 is here and includes a lunar occultation of Mars! (An occultation is when one object blocks the view of another object.)
Traditionally, the first full moon of the year is known as the “Wolf moon.” Technically, the full moon will occur at 5:27 p.m. on Monday. It will rise 1 minute later at 5:28 p.m. locally. As the moon rises, it will truly be “full,” although you won’t notice much of a difference on Sunday or Tuesday nights.
This will be a great chance to observe the moon illusion. Just look for the moon low in the sky behind some distant trees or other landmarks. Although it doesn’t change in size at all, its proximity to distant objects will make it appear much larger — a neat optical illusion.
The name Wolf Moon dates back to Native American times. The relative quiet of other animals in winter allows wolf howls to be heard over much larger distances, making it more likely to hear them this time of year. Other names include “Center Moon” from the Assiniboine people of the Northern Great Plains since it marks the middle of the cold season. Locally, the Cherokee didn’t have a specific name for this full moon, but it heralded the “Windy month.” The nearby Catawba Indians in South Carolina called it the “Ice Moon.” Both are fitting names.
This year, the Wolf moon will do something unusual; it will appear to ‘eat’ Mars.
The red planet is approaching its closest point to the Earth in its orbit, which will occur in just a few days on January 15th. In the meantime, it will be very close to the full moon when it rises on Monday evening. Just a few hours later, the moon will move in front of the planet from our viewpoint. Timing will vary by a couple of minutes across Northeast Georgia, but it will disappear around 9:07 p.m. and reappear around 10:12 p.m.
You’ll need binoculars or a small telescope to really appreciate or even see the event. As Mars gets very close to the moon, it will likely be washed out in the glare of the significantly brighter moon.
That said, a decent pair of cheap binoculars or a small telescope or spotting scope should allow you to see the event just fine. A well-trained pair of eyes may be able to see it without help, but I wouldn’t take my chances.
Since Mars is a bit wider than a star, it will take between 30 seconds to a minute to fully disappear/reappear from our vantage point.
This is a great chance to start the year looking up. Watch the sky and enjoy the first full moon of 2025!
