January 2021 Full Moon: The Full Wolf Moon
Want to look back at the January 2021 Full Moon? The January full moon was on Thursday January 28, 2021 at 2:16 PM EST or 7:16 PM UTC based on the data provided by NASA. It was the first full moon of 2021.
A full moon occurs when the Earth is directly between the Sun and Moon so that the moon looks completely illuminated when you look at it. It happens about once a month or, 29.53 days on average.
Ready to dive a little deeper into the January 2021 Full Moon? Learn more about the moon’s nicknames and other facts about it.
The dates and times provided by NASA in United States Eastern Time (ET) account for both Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) for part of the year in the United States. Also below is the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time. This was previously referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Since your local time zone may be different, the exact dates may shift slightly for your calendar.
When was the full moon in January 2021?
The full moon in January 2021 was on Thursday January 28, 2021 at 2:16 PM EST or 7:16 PM UTC. The January 28th full moon was the first full moon of 2021 and the full moon in Leo.
What was the name of the January Full Moon?
One common nickname for the full moon in January 2021 was the Full Wolf Moon, named for wolves howling at the moon.
It’s also been referred to as the Ice Moon, Old Moon, Moon After Yule, and Snow Moon. Sometimes full moon names overlap and the Snow Moon name is commonly used to refer to the February full moon.
Which season included the January 2021 Full Moon?
In 2021, the January Full Moon was the second full moon of the Winter 2020-2021 season. It was the second full moon after the 2020 Winter Solstice.
The Winter Solstice marks the first day of winter and is the shortest day of the year when the Earth is tilted as far away from the sun as it will be all year.
In 2020, the Winter Solstice was on Monday December 21, 2020 at 5:02 AM EST or 10:02 AM UTC.
Depending on the year, the January full moon may be the first or second full moon of the winter season. In 2021 it was the second full moon of Winter.
Was there a full supermoon in January 2021?
No, the January 2021 full moon was not a full supermoon as it was more than 360,000 kilometers away during the peak of the full moon. The 2021 full supermoons were later in the year during the April and May Full moons.
A full supermoon is a full moon that nearly coincides with the closest that the Moon comes to the Earth in its orbit, called perigee. The moon has a larger-than-usual appearance when you look at it. There isn’t an official definition for how close the moon needs to be to the earth to be considered a supermoon. For the purposes of this site, we’ll follow the Timeanddate.com definition using moons less than 360,000 kilometers from the Earth.
Depending on the supermoon definition you use, the March and June full moon were very close but beyond the 360,000 kilometers distance from the Earth during their peak.
Was there a lunar eclipse during the January Full Moon?
No there was not a lunar eclipse during the January 2021 Full Moon. In other years there have been or will be eclipses during the January Full Moon, but not for 2021.
There were two lunar eclipses in 2021 with a Total Lunar Eclipse in May and a Partial Lunar Eclipse in November.
When was the new moon for the 2021 Full Wolf Moon?
The lunar cycle for the January Full Moon begin with its new moon in 2021. The New Wolf Moon was on Wednesday January 13, 2021 12:00 AM EST or 5:00 AM UTC and was the new moon in Capricorn.
The new moon in January was the start of the lunar cycle for the January Full Moon. In other years the January new moon may be the new moon for the February Full Moon.
It’s also possible for the new moon for the Wolf Moon to occur in a different season than its full moon. In 2021, the new and full Wolf Moon were both in the same month, and same season.
January 2021 Moon Phases in Eastern Time and UTC
Below are the lunar phases for January 2021 including the new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter that were on the schedule for each month. The date and times are based on both the United States Eastern Time Zone and UTC, adjusted for daylight saving time.
| Lunar Phase | US Eastern Date & Time | UTC Date & Time |
|---|---|---|
| January Last Quarter | January 6, 2021 4:37 AM EST | January 6, 2021 9:37 AM UTC |
| January New Moon | January 13, 2021 12:00 AM EST | January 13, 2021 5:00 AM UTC |
| January First Quarter | January 20, 2021 4:02 PM EST | January 20, 2021 9:02 PM UTC |
| January Full Moon | January 28, 2021 2:16 PM EST | January 28, 2021 7:16 PM UTC |
Frequently Asked Questions
Have additional questions about the January Full Moon from 2021? Here are a few of the frequently asked questions to help you.
In 2021 there was one full moon in January. There are other years with 2 full moons, a blue moon, but not for 2021.
Future Full Moon Calendars
And if you’re looking for when the full moon occurs for the rest of the year, check out these future full moon calendars.
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