ATLANTA — Editor's note: The video above is a timelapse of a supermoon rising over Atlanta in August 2023.
Those who get out on Thursday night in Georgia will see a full moon above their heads - the first one for 2024. Here's more information about when to see the first full moon of the year in Georgia.
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What is the full moon in January called? What is a wolf moon?
January's full moon is nicknamed the wolf moon because, in some parts of the world, wolves are active in January and howl on cold nights, EarthSky explains. Other names for January's full moon reference the winter cold, such as the ice moon and the cold moon.
When to see the Wolf Moon in Georgia
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, Georgians can expect the moon to be completely full around 12:54 p.m. EST, and by midnight, it's expected to be overhead. According to NASA, the moon will appear full in the sky for about 3 days, from early Wednesday through early Friday morning.
How often does a full moon happen?
The most common answer to this question is 28 days, but that's not actually correct. A full moon happens roughly every 29.5 days.
Technically, it takes 27.3 days for the moon to complete an orbit around the Earth. But because both are spinning around the sun, the moon has changed position enough that the sun hits it at a different angle on day 27 than on day 0. It takes another two days for the sun's light to hit the moon exactly like it did on day 0.
Usually, this means there's one full moon every month. But occasionally, the timing can work out so that there's a full moon at the beginning of the month and one at the end. That second full moon is known as a blue moon.