January New Moon 2026, the new moon in Capricorn

The January 2026 New Moon was on Sunday, January 18. It was the first new moon of 2026.

A new moon is the first lunar phase that happens about once a month or 29.53 days on average. The moon itself is not visible, though you may be able to “see” it because it blocks the visibility of the stars behind it.

Ready to dive a little deeper into the January New Moon of 2026? Learn more about the moon’s nicknames and other facts about it.

Take a look back at 2026’s January new moon

The January New Moon was on Sunday, January 18th. It was the first new moon of the year.

The January 18 New Moon was the first new moon of Winter as the first to occur after the 2025 Winter Solstice. Depending on the December New Moon in the previous year, the new moon in January is either the first or second new moon of Winter.

When was the new moon in January for 2026?

The peak of the January new moon was 2:52 PM EST on January 18th. The moon looked fairly invisible the day before and after. The January 18 New Moon was the new moon in Capricorn.

Related: Learn more about the January New Moon in 2027.

Name for the January New Moon

In 2026, the January New Moon was called the New Snow Moon because it started the lunar cycle for the February Full Moon.

In other years, the new moon in January will start the January Full Moon cycle.

Was the a solar eclipse in January during the new moon?

No, there was not a solar eclipse during the January new moon in 2026. The February new moon had an Annular Solar Eclipse and there will be a Total Solar Eclipse with the August new moon.

Was there a new supermoon in January?

No, there was not new supermoon in January. The 2026 super new moons will be during the April New Moon, May New Moon, June New Moon, July New Moon, and August New Moon.

A new supermoon is a new moon that nearly coincides with the closest point that the Moon comes to the Earth in its orbit, called perigee. While you cannot directly see a new moon, it may leave a larger-than usual empty space in the sky. There isn’t an official definition for how close the moon must be to the Earth to be considered a supermoon. Depending on the version you use, the moon needs to be approximately 360,000 kilometers from the Earth or closer.

Moon Phases in January 2026

Below are the four core moon phases that will occur in January, including the new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter. The new moon will start the lunar cycle for the February Full Moon.

Phase	Date & Time	Season
January Full Moon 2026	Sat, January 3, 5:03 a.m. EST	Winter
January Last Quarter	Sat, January 10, 10:48 a.m. EST	Winter
January New Moon 2026	Sun, January 18, 2:52 p.m. EST	Winter
January First Quarter	Sun, January 25, 11:47 p.m. EST	Winter