'Wolf' Moon to Light Up the Sky Tonight

The first full moon of 2021 will appear in our sky tonight. In fact, it will actually rise before that. You'll be able to see the full moon starting at between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. this afternoon! And given the clear skies today, viewing should be no problem. So why is today's full moon called a Wolf Moon?

CNN reports that each month has a name associated with it's full moon. In January, the full moon is called a Wolf Moon. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, it is named for the hungry wolves that howled outside villages long ago. What a sound that must have been on a cold winter's night! But other sources say that isn't the case. Some Indian tribes describe the January full moon as a 'cold moon' or 'hard moon' but none mention it of as Wolf Moon.

The closest Indian name for a January full moon that even mentions a wolf comes from the Sioux. Their name for tonight's full moon is 'wolves run together'. The Cheyenne name for a December full moon is 'when wolves run together'. CNN reports that some attribute the Wolf Moon title to the Algonquin tribe. However they refer to the January moon as 'sun has not strength to thaw'. Isn't that the truth!

2021 will be a normal year for full moons with 12. Last year there were 13 with 2 occurring in October. Here is the Old Farmer's Almanac list for each of their names!