Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The world witnessed the Wolf Moon over the weekend across different time zones. The first full moon of 2026, also a supermoon, it was the fourth and final in a series that began in October.
The Wolf Supermoon reached 100% full at 5:03am Eastern time (2pm GST) on Saturday morning. It remained greater than 98% totality through Sunday, continuing to appear full for the entire weekend.
A supermoon occurs when the moon is at its closest in its elliptical orbit around Earth – a position that is also called perigee. Supermoons always come in a series, the January version is the final of the current set and also the farthest of the four from Earth. Two more supermoons will occur during 2026, in November and December.
While it can be difficult to tell size difference while eyeing a supermoon, since all full moons are spectacular in their own way, it can appear 30% brighter and 14% larger than the least luminescent full moon of the year.
Coined by Native Americans, the Wolf Moon is “named after the howling of hungry wolves lamenting the scarcity of food in midwinter”, according to Royal Museums Greenwich. Other monikers include the apt-for-midwinter Ice Moon and the Old Moon.
Winter can be a great season for observing night-time skies given lengthy darkness and comparatively clean air. Snow cover can instigate a particularly breathtaking scene given the glow of white snow and the stark shadows cast by objects such as tall trees.
Full moon also dulled the meteors this time, including the Quadrantid meteor shower, one of the best of the year under ideal conditions.
