The full Wolf Supermoon of 3 January 2026 is going to put in one of the brightest appearances of which our Moon is capable, and it's all down to an extraordinary set of serendipitous circumstances.
A full supermoon takes place when the full phase of the Moon coincides with perigee – the point in the Moon's orbit at which it is closest to Earth.
The perigee of January 3 will bring the full Moon to a distance of 362,312 kilometers (225,130 miles) from Earth, giving it an apparent size and brightness boost of about 14 and 30 percent, respectively, compared to its most distant point.
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That distance is a little farther than the Cold Supermoon of 4 December 2025, but the brightness kick from another timely feature will likely make up for the lack of distance.
This year's Wolf Supermoon will also fall just hours from a perihelion – the point in Earth's orbit at which it is closest to the Sun, about 3.4 percent closer than its farthest point. This means just a tiny bit more sunlight reaches the Earth-Moon system, giving another brightness boost.
Given that cold air has less humidity than warm air, making the sky more transparent, January 3 could present a perfect opportunity to go moongazing in the Northern Hemisphere, clear skies allowing – no special equipment required, just your own two eyes and a snuggly blanket.
Supermoons are a natural consequence of the shape of the lunar orbit around Earth. It's not perfectly round, but slightly oval; as a result, there are points along the Moon's path at which it is a touch closer or farther than its average distance of 384,400 kilometers (238,855 miles) from Earth.
The point at which it is closest to Earth is known as a perigee, of which there are around 13 a year, give or take.
The lunar orbit precesses, meaning its oval shape doesn't follow the same orientation every time, so the timing of the perigees is not exactly aligned with the lunar cycle. There are fewer supermoons than perigees, because it's only when the perigee occurs on a full or new Moon that we refer to it as a supermoon.
Interestingly, the perigee distance also changes quite a bit thanks to other contributing factors, such as the gravitational tug of the Sun and the shifting, long-term relationship between Earth and the Moon.
Meanwhile, perihelion is a similar phenomenon on a larger scale in Earth's orbit with the Sun. It occurs every year in early January, around the 3rd of the month, bringing our homeworld to a distance of 147,099,900 kilometers (91,403,640 miles) from the Sun, compared to its average distance of 149.6 million kilometers.
This can increase the amount of solar energy reaching our planet and its Moon, giving the full Moon another brightness boost of about 6.5 percent compared to aphelion, the most distant point in the Earth-Sun orbit.
It's called the Wolf Supermoon because January's full Moon is known as the Wolf Moon. It's just that this year's Wolf Moon is going to be extra special, coinciding with two other celestial events for a rare triple cosmic treat… dare we even say… a Three Wolf Moon?
It's also the last full supermoon we're going to see until 24 November 2026, so get out there and make the most of it.