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January's Wolf Moon to pass in front of Mars tonight, NASA says

First full moon of 2025 will be visible Monday
Full moon in Florida
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Keep your eyes on the sky today, Tampa Bay.

January's full moon, also known as the Wolf Moon, will be making an appearance, reaching its peak illumination around 5:27 p.m.

NASA officials said that for most of the continental U.S. (along with parts of Africa, Canada, and Mexico), the moon will also pass in front of the planet Mars, with the bright star Pollux above it. Pollux is the brighter half of a pair of twin stars in the constellation Gemini.

But if you miss it, don't worry— the moon will appear full through Wednesday morning. Let's just hope our weather cooperates.

While you wait, have you ever wondered where full moons get their names from? NASA said the Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s.

"According to this almanac, as the full moon in January, this is the Wolf Moon, from the packs of wolves heard howling outside the villages amid the cold and deep snows of winter," a post on the organization's Skywatching series reads.

In Europe, names for this moon include the Ice Moon, the Old Moon and the Moon after Yule.

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