Supermoon may be hard to see in West Coast
The first full moon of 2026 is also a supermoon. Called the Wolf Moon, it is the fourth and final in a series of supermoons that began in October.
The Wolf Supermoon reached 100% full at 2:03 a.m. Pacific on Saturday morning. It will remain greater than 98% totality through Sunday, continuing to appear full for the entire weekend.
In Washington, the supermoon will be above the northwest horizon during the predawn through roughly a half hour after sunrise Saturday. It will rise in the east-northeast around 5:15 p.m. later that day, shortly after sunset at 4:58 p.m.
What’s a supermoon, and why the name?
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.
Where you’ll see it
Winter can be a great season for observing nighttime 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.
However, storm systems are frequent and clouds can mess with the show.
Regions most likely to deal with overcast conditions in this case span the eastern and western United States. The West Coast in particular will be dealing with a new round of storm systems through the weekend.
Central states, bounded by the Rockies and the Mississippi River, look to have a relatively good view Saturday evening, then potentially again Sunday.
Waiting until Sunday evening, there is a better shot to get a good gander right along the East Coast. And
Across the course of the weekend though, even the cloudiest locations in other parts of the country might be able to catch at least a passing glimpse.
Full moon dulls meteor shower
Known for its fireball meteors, the Quadrantid meteor shower could be one of the best meteor showers of the year under ideal conditions. But that won’t be the case this time, largely thanks to the supermoon.
Peaking Saturday, the shower typically produces about 25 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society. The group notes the full moon will make it more difficult to view meteors due to its brightness, perhaps limiting viewable meteors to 10 per hour.
To best attempt viewing of the Quadrantid meteor shower, NASA suggests escaping city light, allowing eyes 30 minutes to acclimate to the dark and lying on the ground facing northeast. Winter gear and a thermos full of a favorite hot beverage may also enhance the experience.