Full moons of 2026: When to see all 13 moons (including a Blue Moon and a Blood Moon) rise next year
When will the next full moon be?
The January full moon, nicknamed the Wolf Moon, rises on Saturday, January 3 and becomes the second highest full moon of the year. The moon becomes full at 5:03 a.m. EST and will also appear bright and full on Friday (January 2) and Sunday (January 4).
Supermoons occur when the full moon rises near perigee, its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it appear larger and brighter than a typical full moon. (In contrast, a micromoon occurs when the full moon coincides with apogee, its farthest point from Earth, making it appear smaller from our perspective.)
Here is how to photograph the moon when it’s at its best.
Full moons of 2026: an overview
In 2026, you’ll be lucky enough to see 13 full moons, including three super moons and two lunar eclipses (one of which is the last total lunar eclipse until New Year’s Eve 2028). Although experienced moon observers know that full moon night is not the best for observing the lunar surface (even with a good pair of binoculars), the full moon rising like an orb at dusk is a celestial sight that’s hard to beat.
Full Moon Guide: When are the 2026 full moons?
Here are all the full moon dates and times for 2026, according to timeanddate.comincluding the most commonly used names in North America:
- Saturday, January 3: Wolf Moon (10:02 UTC/5:02 EST) – also a supermoon
- Sunday, February 1: Snow Moon (10:09 p.m. UTC/5:09 p.m. EST)
- Tuesday, March 3: Worm Moon (11:37 a.m. UTC/6:37 a.m. EST) – also a total lunar eclipse
- Wednesday, April 1: Pink Moon (02:11 UTC April 2/10:11 p.m. EDT April 1)
- Friday, May 1: Flower Moon (5:23 p.m. UTC/1:23 p.m. EDT)
- Sunday, May 31: Blue Moon (08:45 UTC/4:45 EDT)
- Monday, June 29: Strawberry Moon (11:56 p.m. UTC/7:56 p.m. EDT) – also a micromoon
- Wednesday, July 29: Buck Moon (2:35 p.m. UTC/10:35 a.m. EDT)
- Friday, August 28: Sturgeon Moon (04:18 UTC/00:18 EDT) – also a partial lunar eclipse
- Saturday, September 26: Harvest Moon (4:49 p.m. UTC/12:49 p.m. EDT)
- Monday, October 26: Hunter’s Moon (04:11 UTC/00:11 EDT)
- Tuesday, November 24: Beaver Moon (2:53 p.m. UTC/9:53 a.m. EST) – also a supermoon
- Wednesday, December 23: Cold Moon (01:28 UTC on December 24/8:28 p.m. EST on December 23) – also a supermoon
Lunar eclipses 2026
There will be two lunar eclipses in 2026, but only one will be total. The first, on March 2 and 3, there will be a total lunar eclipseduring which the full Worm Moon will drift through Earth’s inner shadow and turn a red-orange color for 58 minutes, from 6:04 a.m. to 7:02 a.m. EDT on March 3, according to timeanddate.com. The best views of this event, dubbed the “blood moon,” will come from western North America and the Asia-Pacific.
THE second lunar eclipse, August 27 and 28will be a partial lunar eclipse, during which 96% of the Sturgeon Moon will enter Earth’s inner shadow and may take on a red-orange hue close to the peak eclipse at 12:12 a.m. EDT on Aug. 28, according to timeanddate.com. The best views will be from North and South America, Europe and Africa.
What are the phases of the moon?
Scientists generally divide the Moon’s 29.5 day cycle into eight phaseswhich are determined by the relative positions of the Moon, Earth and Sun.
The beginning of the cycle is the new moon, that is, the moment when the moon is exactly between the Earth and the sun. We cannot see the Moon when it is in the new phase because no sunlight is reflected off its Earth-facing side. A new moon is the only time when a solar eclipse is possible. Two central solar eclipses will occur in 2026: an annular solar eclipse on February 17 and a total solar eclipse on August 12.
As more and more sunlight hits the Earth-facing side of the Moon, we say the Moon is growing. The next phase of the moon is called the waxing crescent, followed by the first quarter phase. Half of the Moon’s visible surface appears illuminated during the first quarter.
Next comes the waxing gibbous moon, which is halfway between the first quarter moon and the full moon. Halfway through the lunar cycle, the full moon rises and the moon shines brightly in the sky. During this phase, the Moon and the Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth and the entire side of the Moon facing the Earth is illuminated.
After the full moon, the waning cycle begins – first with the waning gibbous phase, then a final quarter moon and, finally, a waning crescent. After almost 30 days, the moon becomes “new” again and the cycle repeats.
