Wolf Moon: First full moon of 2024 to shine bright this week

The first full moon of 2024 is rising this week.

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The Wolf Moon will fill the night sky on Thursday evening.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac said it will peak at 12:54 p.m. EST, but when the moon rises later in the day, it will still appear full to most, USA Today reported.

It will rise on the eastern horizon, will be overhead at about midnight and will go down on the western horizon.

The name Wolf Moon comes from several traditions including Native American, colonial America and Europe, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

It is believed that the name came from a time when wolves are more likely to be howling, not because of hunger as previously thought, but to locate pack members, define territory and coordinate hunting, the publication said.

The Wolf Moon is also called:

• Center Moon (Assiniboine)
• Cold Moon (Cree)
• Frost Exploding Moon (Cree)
• Great Moon (Cree)
• Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin)
• Severe Moon (Dakota)
• Hard Moon (Dakota)
• Canada Goose Moon (Tlingit)
• Greetings Moon (Western Abenaki)
• Spirit Moon (Ojibwe)

The moon will also help make Venus, Mercury and Mars visible early Friday morning, Forbes reported.

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