Skywatchers will be treated to a dozen full moons in 2025, as well as a total lunar eclipse and three supermoons, writes NASA, at the end of the year. Here's when you can enjoy the best moon gazing the skies have to offer.
There's a full moon shining in every calendar month of 2025 on these dates: Jan. 13, Feb. 12, March 14, April 13, May 12, June 11, July 10, Aug. 9, Sept. 7, Oct. 7, Nov. 5 and Dec. 4.
Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, is when the full Wolf Moon howls its brightest. The moon's phases in January are:
Wolves were believed to howl more in January as the first few weeks of winter cloaked the ground in frost and snow, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Other names for January's full moon from Native American tribes include the Center Moon, Freeze Up Moon and the Hard Moon.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 5:04 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13 before setting at 7:06 a.m. Tuesday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, is when February's full Snow Moon glistens brightest. The moon's phases for the rest of the month are:
It's no mystery February can be a time for heavy snow, writes the Old Farmer's Almanac. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited a Native American tribe and wrote the Snow Moon was so named "because more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter."
Other names for February's full moon from Native American tribes include the Bald Eagle Moon, Hungry Moon and Groundhog Moon.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 6:01 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, crossing the meridian at 12:04 a.m. before setting at 7:00 a.m. Sunday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
Friday, March 14, 2025, is when the full Worm Moon wriggles its way into the night sky. That's also the date of a total lunar eclipse for the Americas, according to NASA. The moon's phases in March are:
North America will experience a total lunar eclipse Friday, March 14, writes NASA. The full eclipse, when the moon takes on an orangish or reddish color after slipping into the inner part of Earth's shadow, or umbra, should start roughly around 10:57 p.m. CT and last until 5 a.m. CT, according to timeanddate.com, which lists the maximum eclipse happening at 1:58 a.m. CT.
It was once believed the Worm Moon's name was derived from earthworms wriggling through March's warming soil, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, which heralded the first signs of spring as birds returned to feast on them. Perhaps the full moon in March should've been called the "Robin Moon."
However, more research revealed the name likely originates from notes taken by Captain Jonathan Carver, who in the 1760s visited Native American tribes and wrote that the "Worm Moon" refers to a species of beetle larvae that emerged from thawing bark around this time.
Other names for March's full moon from Native American tribes include the Crow Comes Back Moon, the Eagle Moon and the Sugar Moon.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 7:43 p.m. Friday, March 14, crossing the meridian at 1:09 a.m. before setting at 7:23 a.m. Saturday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
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Sunday, April 13, 2025, is when the Pink Moon glows its brightest. The moon's phases for April are:
It would be neat if the moon turned a bright shade of pink throughout April, but that's not the origin of its name, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The appearance of ground phlox, or "moss pink" was more prevalent in certain areas of North America at this time.
Other names for April's full moon from Native American tribes include the Breaking Ice Moon, Budding Moon, Sucker Moon, and the Moon When the Ducks Come Back.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 8:23 p.m. Sunday, April 13, crossing the meridian at 1:07 a.m. before setting at 6:41 a.m. Monday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
Monday, May 12, 2025, is when the full Flower Moon blossoms. The moon's phases in May are:
"April showers bring May flowers," as the saying goes. The full moon in May is a reflection of flowers blooming across large swaths of North America, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Other names for May's full moon from Native American tribes include the Budding Moon, Frog Moon, and the Moon of Shedding Ponies.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 8:12 p.m. Monday, May 12 before setting at 5:43 a.m. Tuesday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025, is when the sweet Strawberry Moon shines in the night sky. The moon's phases in June are:
Similar to the Pink Moon, June's Strawberry Moon takes its name from seasonal plant growth, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Many ripening berries were ready to be harvested around this time in the northeastern United States.
Other names for June's full moon from Native American tribes include the Birth Moon, Hot Moon, Blooming Moon, and the Green Corn Moon.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 9:49 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, crossing the meridian at 1:49 a.m. before setting at 6:40 a.m. Thursday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
Thursday, July 10, 2025, is when the full Buck Moon charges its way into the night sky. The moon's phases in July are:
A male deer, or buck's antlers were in full growth mode around this time in July, writes the Old Farmer's Almanac. Other names for July's full moon from Native American tribes include the Salmon Moon, Thunder Moon, and Halfway Summer Moon.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 8:32 p.m. Thursday, July 10 before setting at 5:30 a.m. Friday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
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Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, is when the full Sturgeon Moon swims across the heavens. The moon's phases in August are:
Native American tribes around the Great Lakes region and Lake Champlain were said to catch plenty of freshwater sturgeon around this time, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Some species of sturgeon can grow to massive sizes, such as the one found in British Columbia in 2022 believed to be 10 feet long and weighing close to 600 pounds.
Other names for August's full moon from Native American tribes include the Black Cherries Moon, Corn Moon, and Mountain Shadows Moon.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 8:22 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, crossing the meridian at 1:06 a.m. before setting at 6:31 a.m. Sunday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, is when the full Harvest Moon, sometimes Corn Moon, will be high in the sky. The moon's phases in September are:
Late summer to early fall is a time for harvesting corn in much of the United States. Many Native American peoples traditionally referred to the full moons around August and September as "corn moons," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
Other names for September's full moon from Native American tribes include Autumn Moon, Child Moon, Rutting Moon, and the Falling Leaves Moon.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 7:22 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7 before setting at 6:25 a.m. Monday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, is when the full Hunter's Moon stalks the night. It also happens to be the month of a super moon, when the moon will be slightly closer and brighter to Earth. The moon's phases in October are:
October's full moon is frequently called the "Hunter's Moon," but its name can change from year to year. That's because the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon, which often happens in September. The last time we had a Hunter's Moon in November was in 2017.
Other names for October's full moon from Native American tribes include the Drying Rice Moon, Freezing Moon, and Migrating Moon.
The "super" in supermoon often has more to do with its proximity to Earth and less, some say, than how it looks in size. Supermoons can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year. Visually, that might not leave much of an impression, but the proximity of a supermoon has an effect on Earth, causing higher tides than normal.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 6:53 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 and setting at 7:29 a.m. Wednesday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, is when the Beaver Moon makes a splash. Like October, November's full moon also happens to be a super moon, when the moon will be slightly closer and brighter to Earth. The moon's phases in November are:
The Beaver Moon takes its name from early Native American tribes as well as American colonists, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, when beavers begin sheltering in their lodges after gathering enough food to last the winter. Fur trappers, the almanac stated, used this time to hunt beavers for their pelts.
Other names for November's full moon from Native American tribes include the Whitefish Moon, Frost Moon, and the Deer Rutting Moon.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 5:04 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5 and setting at 6:29 a.m. Thursday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, is when the Cold Moon lights up the holiday skies. It's also the third supermoon of the year, when the moon will be slightly closer and brighter to Earth. The moon's phases in December are:
It's no mystery why December's full moon is commonly referred to as the "Cold Moon," or the "Winter Maker Moon," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. It's the first full moon after the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, when temperatures are normally freezing in the northern hemisphere.
Other names for December's full moon from Native American tribes include the Long Night Moon, Drift Clearing Moon, and the Little Spirit Moon.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Jackson area will happen by roughly 4:31 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 before setting at 6:32 a.m. Friday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online.
You may have noticed the moon will occasionally take on a dramatic shade of orange or red in the night sky. That's because of how sunlight strikes the moon's surface after passing through our atmosphere.
When the moon moves into the inner part of Earth's shadow, or umbra, according to NASA, some of the sunlight entering Earth's skies scatters before reaching the moon's surface.
Colors with shorter wavelengths, such as blues and violets, scatter more easily than colors with longer wavelengths, which include red and orange. The more dust or clouds in Earth's atmosphere during a lunar eclipse, the redder the moon appears.
Reporting by Bonnie Bolden contributed to this report.