The Moon travels once around Earth every 27.3 days and also takes about 27 days to rotate on its axis. This means the Moon always shows us the same face. The Moon also rises around 50 minutes later every day, meaning it sometimes rises during the day and sometimes during the night.
When is the first Full Moon of 2019?
The Full Wolf Moon will rise on January 21 and reach its peak at 5.16am GMT (12.16am EST).
This Moon got its name during early Colonial times in America, when wolves howled outside the villages when they were hungry.
The Moon is January is also traditionally known as the Old Moon.
What are the rest of the Full Moon names and dates in 2019?
Full Wolf Moon – January 21
Full Snow Moon – February 19
Full Worm Moon – March 20
Full Pink Moon – April 19
Full Flower Moon – May 18
Full Strawberry Moon – June 17
Full Buck Moon – July 16
Full Sturgeon Moon – August 15
Full Harvest Moon – September 14
Full Hunter’s Moon – October 13
Full Beaver Moon – November 12
Full Cold Moon – December 12
This year will also see a Total Lunar Eclipse, which is also known as a Blood Moon.
This will occur on January 20 at around 2.35am GMT (9.35pm EST) and end at 7.50am (2.50am EST) on January 21.
Lunar eclipses take place when the Moon passes into the shadow of the Earth.
This causes the bright white Moon to turn red, hence the nickname Blood Moon.