NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will travel 1.8 billion miles to study Jupiter’s moon Europa believed to have a global ocean with essential elements for life. (Video: NASA)
Monday night marks the next full Moon, and with it comes an added surprise for stargazers.
A full Moon in January is called a Wolf Moon because of the packs of wolves heard howling at the Moon outside villages in the wintertime in decades past, according to NASA.
The Moon will rise at about 5:27 p.m. ET, shortly after sunset on Monday, Jan. 13.
The Moon will be the most visible around midnight Monday night when it’s directly overhead, according to EarthSky.
The Wolf Moon will also pass in front of the planet Mars, giving viewers of the Moon a chance to see the glowing red planet.
NEWARK, NJ – OCTOBER 2: The moon rises along with Mars behind lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City, a day after the full Harvest Moon on October 1, 2020 as seen from Newark, New Jersey.
(Gary Hershorn)
Mars is currently the biggest and brightest it will be in 2025, EarthSky reports.
If viewing the Wolf Moon and hoping to get a peek at Mars, EarthSky recommends blocking the right half of the Moon with a distant object so you can try and see past the moonlight.
After Monday, the next full Moon is on Feb. 12, and it’s called the Snow Moon.