Wolf Moon Makes Amateur Astronomers Howl with Delight

High above our planet on Friday night, shown an amazing, full moon. This moon, said to be the brightest full moon of the entire year, was a true sight to behold, even with the naked eye. Such a full moon in January is often called a “wolf moon,” legend saying that native wolf packs come out in force to howl at this bright ball in the sky. In areas where the sky was clear the night of January 29th, the moon shown as brightly as the dawning day, illuminating everything beneath it.

In cities experiencing cloud cover, the moon was lightly covered by a row of clouds, giving it an ethereal look, evoking visions of Halloween goblins dancing beneath.

For amateur astronomers, Friday night was the perfect night to pull out their telescope, to see up close the craters that mar the moon’s surface.

Under clear skies, one could also see Mars, as it lined up with the full moon, making its closest pass to the Earth this year.

Whether brightly lit, in a totally clear sky, or lightly veiled beneath a row of sheer clouds, this wolf’s moon was a beauty to behold, and a wonderful way to close out the first month of the New Year.