January will be particularly significant as it features a bright full moon visible in much of the world, writes Live Science. The January full moon, known as the "Wolf Moon," will be visible on January 3 and will reach its full phase at 5:02 AM Eastern Standard Time (12:02 PM Riga time). This event will conclude a series of four Supermoons that began in October and continued through November and December. In 2026, three Supermoons and two lunar eclipses will be observed, one of which will be total and visible from parts of North America and the Asia-Pacific region. A Supermoon can be observed when the full moon appears near perigee, the closest point in its elliptical orbit around Earth. This position makes the moon slightly larger and brighter than usual. The opposite event, a micromoon, occurs when the full moon appears near apogee, the farthest point in its orbit. In March, there will be two lunar eclipses, one of which will be total. It will occur on March 3, when the moon passes through Earth's inner shadow, causing it to take on a reddish hue for a short time. A partial lunar eclipse will take place in August. ## Full Moons in 2026 According to timeanddate.com, the full moons in 2026 will occur on the following dates: * January 3: Wolf Moon (12:02 PM Riga time) — Supermoon (12:02 PM Riga time) — Supermoon * February 2: Snow Moon (00:09 PM Riga time) * March 3: Worm Moon (13:37 PM Riga time) — total lunar eclipse * April 2: Pink Moon (04:11 UTC Riga time) * May 1: Flower Moon (19:23 PM Riga time) * May 31: Blue Moon (10:45 PM Riga time) * June 30: Strawberry Moon (01:56 PM Riga time) — micromoon * July 29: Buck Moon (16:35 PM Riga time) * August 28: Sturgeon Moon (06:18 PM Riga time) — partial lunar eclipse * September 26: Harvest Moon (18:49 PM Riga time) * October 26: Hunter's Moon (06:11 PM Riga time) * November 24: Beaver Moon (16:53 PM Riga time) — Supermoon * December 24: Cold Moon (03:28 PM Riga time) — Supermoon ## Phases of the Moon Typically, scientists divide the 29.5-day lunar cycle into eight distinct phases, based on how the Moon, Earth, and Sun are positioned relative to each other. The cycle begins with the new moon, when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun. During this phase, the Moon is not visible from Earth, as sunlight does not reflect off its side facing Earth. The new moon is also the only time a solar eclipse can occur. In 2026, there will be two central solar eclipses: an annular eclipse on February 17 and a total solar eclipse on August 12. As the Moon moves away from a direct line with the Sun, more light reflects off its surface, marking the phases of waxing. The first visible phase is the waxing crescent, followed by the first quarter, when half of the Moon's visible surface is illuminated. This is followed by the waxing gibbous phase, when more than half of the Moon is illuminated but it is not yet full. The midpoint of the cycle is the full moon, which rises when the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of Earth. At this stage, the entire side of the Moon facing Earth is illuminated. After this, the waning phase begins. As the reflected light continues to decrease, the Moon returns to the new moon, completing the cycle and starting the process anew.