The phenomenon of a Full Moon arises when our planet, Earth, is precisely sandwiched between the Sun and the Moon. This alignment ensures the entire side of the Moon that faces us gleams under sunlight. Thanks to the Moon’s orbit around Earth, the angle of sunlight hitting the lunar surface and being reflected back to our planet changes. That creates different lunar phases.
The next Full Moon will be the first Full Moon of 2025. It is the Wolf Moon, which occurs at 5:27 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.
We’ll update this article multiple times each week with the latest moonrise, moonset, Full Moon schedule, and some of what you can see in the sky each week.
Here’s the complete list of Full Moons this year and their traditional names.
2025 Full Moon schedule and names of each
(All times Eastern; * denotes a Super Moon.)
- Monday, Jan. 13 — 5:27 p.m. — Wolf Moon
- Wednesday, Feb. 12 — 8:53 a.m. — Snow Moon
- Friday, March 14 — 2:55 a.m. — Worm Moon
- Saturday, April 12 — 8:22 p.m. — Pink Moon
- Monday, May 12 — 12:56 p.m. — Flower Moon
- Wednesday, June 11 — 3:44 a.m. — Strawberry Moon
- Thursday, July 10 — 4:37 p.m. — Buck Moon
- Saturday, Aug. 9 — 3:55 a.m. — Sturgeon Moon
- Sunday, Sept. 7 — 2:09 p.m. — Corn Moon
- Monday, Oct. 6 — 11:48 p.m. — Hunter’s Moon*
- Wednesday, Nov. 5 — 8:19 a.m. — Beaver Moon*
- Thursday, Dec. 4 — 6:14 p.m. — Cold Moon*
The phases of the Moon in January 2025
The images below show the day-by-day phases of the Moon in January. The Full Moon this month is Monday, Jan. 13.
The moonrise and moonset schedule this week
The following is adapted from Alison Klesman’s The Sky This Week column. Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
Thursday, January 2
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:47 P.M.
Moonrise: 9:39 A.M.
Moonset: 7:51 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (9%)
Friday, January 3
The Moon passes 1.4° south of Venus at 10 A.M. EST. Although neither is visible at that time, you can spot them in the evening sky, now 3.4° apart and 30° high in the south at sunset. The crescent Moon sits to the upper right of blazing Venus, creating a stunning scene that will last: The pair will dominate the early-evening hours, finally setting in the west some four hours after sunset.
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:47 P.M.
Moonrise: 10:07 A.M.
Moonset: 9:03 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (17%)
Saturday, January 4
The Moon passes 0.7° north of 1st-magnitude Saturn at noon EST; by sunset, the two are 3° apart, with the Moon to Saturn’s upper left in the sky and bright Venus to the ringed planet’s lower right. It’s a lovely scene for astrophotographers to capture, particularly if earthshine is visible on the Moon, illuminating the portions of its darkened nearside still in Earth’s shadow.
Zoom in on the lit portion of our satellite with a telescope to spot the small, dark round spot of Mare Crisium. To its north is a large, oval-shaped crater spanning some 80 miles (130 km): Cleomedes. Within this crater is a long, thin linear feature called a rille. Known as Rima Cleomedes, this lighter-colored groove will show up under high magnification and at moments of good seeing, set within the northeastern region of Cleomedes near a smattering of several small craters marring the larger crater’s floor.
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:48 P.M.
Moonrise: 10:33 A.M.
Moonset: 10:15 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (26%)
Sunday, January 5
The Moon now passes into Pisces and stands 1.1° north of Neptune at 10 A.M. EST. By evening, our satellite is more than 4.5° from Neptune, standing to the ice giant’s upper left. Now Saturn and Venus, both in Aquarius, lie to the crescent Moon’s far lower right.
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:49 P.M.
Moonrise: 10:56 A.M.
Moonset: 11:27 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (36%)
Monday, January 6
First Quarter Moon occurs at 6:56 P.M. EST. The Moon hangs in Pisces near the 4th-magnitude star Epsilon Psc this evening, and remains visible until shortly after midnight.
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:50 P.M.
Moonrise: 11:20 A.M.
Moonset: —
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (47%)
Tuesday, January 7
The Moon reaches perigee, the closest point to Earth in its orbit, at 7:01 P.M. EST this evening. At that time, our satellite will sit 230,013 miles (370,170 km) away.
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:51 P.M.
Moonrise: 11:45 A.M.
Moonset: 12:38 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (59%)
Wednesday, January 8
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:52 P.M.
Moonrise: 12:14 P.M.
Moonset: 1:53 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (70%)
Thursday, January 9
The Moon passes 4° north of Uranus at 11 A.M. EST, having crossed the border from Aries into Taurus.
A few hours later, the Moon occults several stars in the Pleiades star cluster (M45), visible in all time zones except Pacific, where the event takes place in daylight. The farther east you are, the darker your sky will be as Luna appears to pass in front of the bright cluster from our point of view.
The exact timing of the event depends heavily upon your location — the International Occultation Timing Association’s website for 2025 bright star occultations has links to detailed lists of disappearance and reappearance time by city. (Note this event occurs on January 10 UTC, so click on the occultations listed for that date.)
Those in the eastern U.S. will likely notice 4th-magnitude Electra disappear first behind the Moon’s limb around 7 P.M. EST. About 20 minutes later, similarly bright Merope disappears. In parts of the Midwest, the Moon just misses Electra, making Merope the first star to vanish around 6 P.M. CST. A little over half an hour later, Alcyone disappears, then Atlas and Pleione about 45 minutes after that. If you have a small telescope, you can watch even more stars vanish, as the Moon occults several 7th-magnitude stars in this region as well.
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:53 P.M.
Moonrise: 12:49 P.M.
Moonset: 3:08 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (79%)
Friday, January 10
Skimming through Taurus, the Moon passes 5° north of Jupiter at 6 P.M. EST. The two are visible roughly all night long, with bright, magnitude –2.7 Jupiter still standing out even as the Moon reaches some 90 percent Full this evening.
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:54 P.M.
Moonrise: 1:32 P.M.
Moonset: 4:24 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (88%)
Saturday, January 11
Sunrise: 7:21 A.M.
Sunset: 4:55 P.M.
Moonrise: 2:25 P.M.
Moonset: 5:36 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (94%)
The phases of the Moon
The phases of the Moon are: New Moon, waxing crescent, First Quarter, waxing gibbous, Full Moon, waning gibbous, Last Quarter, and waning crescent. A cycle starting from one Full Moon to its next counterpart, termed the synodic month or lunar month, lasts about 29.5 days.
Though a Full Moon only occurs during the exact moment when Earth, Moon, and Sun form a perfect alignment, to our eyes, the Moon seems Full for around three days.
RELATED: 20 things to see on the Moon
Different names for different types of Full Moon
There are a wide variety of specialized names used to identify distinct types or timings of Full Moons. These names primarily trace back to a blend of cultural, agricultural, and natural observations about the Moon, aimed at allowing humans to not only predict seasonal changes, but also track the passage of time.
For instance, almost every month’s Full Moon boasts a name sourced from Native American, Colonial American, or other North American traditions, with their titles mirroring seasonal shifts and nature’s events.
Wolf Moon (January): Inspired by the cries of hungry wolves.
Snow Moon (February): A nod to the month’s often heavy snowfall.
Worm Moon (March): Named after the earthworms that signal thawing grounds.
Pink Moon (April): In honor of the blossoming pink wildflowers.
Flower Moon (May): Celebrating the bloom of flowers.
Strawberry Moon (June): Marks the prime strawberry harvest season.
Buck Moon (July): Recognizing the new antlers on bucks.
Sturgeon Moon (August): Named after the abundant sturgeon fish.
Corn Moon (September): Signifying the corn harvesting period.
Hunter’s Moon (October): Commemorating the hunting season preceding winter.
Beaver Moon (November): Reflects the time when beavers are busy building their winter dams.
Cold Moon (December): Evocative of winter’s chill.
In addition, there are a few additional names for Full Moons that commonly make their way into public conversations and news.
Super Moon: This term is reserved for a Full Moon that aligns with the lunar perigee, which is the Moon’s nearest point to Earth in its orbit. This proximity renders the Full Moon unusually large and luminous. For a Full Moon to earn the Super Moon tag, it should be within approximately 90 percent of its closest distance to Earth.
Blue Moon: A Blue Moon is the second Full Moon in a month that experiences two Full Moons. This phenomenon graces our skies roughly every 2.7 years. Though the term suggests a color, Blue Moons aren’t truly blue. Very occasionally, atmospheric conditions such as recent volcanic eruptions might lend the Moon a slightly blueish tint, but this hue isn’t tied to the term.
Harvest Moon: Occurring closest to the autumnal equinox, typically in September, the Harvest Moon is often renowned for a distinct orange tint it might display. This Full Moon rises close to sunset and sets near sunrise, providing extended hours of bright moonlight. Historically, this was invaluable to farmers gathering their produce.
Common questions about Full Moons
What is the difference between a Full Moon and a New Moon? A Full Moon is witnessed when Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, making the entire Moon’s face visible. Conversely, during a New Moon, the Moon lies between Earth and the Sun, shrouding its Earth-facing side in darkness.
How does the Full Moon influence tides? The Moon’s gravitational tug causes Earth’s waters to bulge, birthing tides. During both Full and New Moons, the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in alignment, generating “spring tides.” These tides can swing exceptionally high or low due to the combined gravitational influences of the Sun and Moon.
Here are the dates for all the lunar phases in 2025:
| New | First Quarter | Full | Last Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 6 | Jan. 13 | Jan. 21 | |
| Jan. 29 | Feb. 5 | Feb. 12 | Feb. 20 |
| Feb. 27 | March 6 | March 14 | March 22 |
| March 29 | April 4 | April 12 | April 20 |
| April 27 | May 4 | May 12 | May 20 |
| May 26 | June 2 | June 11 | June 18 |
| June 25 | July 2 | July 10 | July 17 |
| July 24 | Aug. 1 | Aug. 9 | Aug. 16 |
| Aug. 23 | Aug. 31 | Sept. 7 | Sept. 14 |
| Sept. 21 | Sept. 29 | Oct. 6 | Oct. 13 |
| Oct. 21 | Oct. 29 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 12 |
| Nov. 20 | Nov. 28 | Dec. 4 | Dec. 11 |
| Dec. 19 | Dec. 27 |
