The Sky Tonight Update: Full Wolf Moon

The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Wolf Moon because this was the time of year when hungry wolf packs howled outside their camps. Because wolves often hunt at night, their howling has become associated with nightfall and particularly, the moon. However the centuries-old notion of wolves howling at the full moon is known to be more folklore than fact. This moon has also been known as the Old Moon and, because January’s full moon was usually the first full moon after Christmas, some cultures referred to it as the Moon After Yule.

The Sky Tonight Update: Quadrantids Meteor Shower

The Quadrantids is an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak. It is thought to be produced by dust grains left behind by an extinct comet known as 2003 EH1, which was discovered in 2003. The shower runs annually from January 1-5. It peaks this year on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th.