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Moon calendar · This month’s full moon, 3 January 2026

Moon calendar: January 2026

In January 2026 the full moon falls on 3 Jan (the Wolf Moon) and the new moon on 18 Jan. Every day below shows the Moon’s shape and how much of it is lit, with exact phase times underneath.

Key facts · January 2026
  • 3 Jan, 12:02 Vilnius time: full moon, traditionally the Wolf Moon.
  • 10 Jan, 17:48 Vilnius time: last quarter.
  • 18 Jan, 21:52 Vilnius time: new moon.
  • 26 Jan, 06:47 Vilnius time: first quarter.
  • During January 2026 the Moon passes through all eight phases. One full cycle takes about 29.5 days.
  • The next full moon after this month is on 2 February 2026 (February 2026).
Moon calendar

January 2026

Illumination at noon, Europe/Vilnius

Moon phase times, January 2026

The four principal phases are moments, not whole days. Times are given in UTC and in Europe/Vilnius time.

DatePhaseEurope/VilniusUTC
Sat 3 JanFull moon · Wolf Moon12:0210:02
Sat 10 JanLast quarter17:4815:48
Sun 18 JanNew moon21:5219:52
Mon 26 JanFirst quarter06:4704:47

The sky: January 2026

Planets and sky events this month, as seen in London. The Moon's phases are in the calendar above.

Planets visible (mid-month)

Events

Sat 3 JanQuadrantids meteor shower peakUp to 80 meteors an hour in a perfect sky. The Moon is 100% lit: only the brightest meteors will show.
Sat 3 JanThe Moon near JupiterAbout 3.6° apart. Look for Jupiter next to the Moon.
Sat 10 JanJupiter at oppositionThe planet is opposite the Sun: it rises at sunset, is up all night and at its brightest of the year.
Fri 23 JanThe Moon near SaturnAbout 3.8° apart. Look for Saturn next to the Moon.
Sat 31 JanThe Moon near JupiterAbout 3.8° apart. Look for Jupiter next to the Moon.

Sky tonight →

How to read the moon calendar

Each day shows its date, the share of the Moon’s disc that is lit at noon, and the Moon’s shape that day. When a full moon, new moon or quarter falls on a day, it is named at the bottom of the cell.

Illumination is the part of the disc lit by the Sun. It grows from new moon to full moon (waxing) and shrinks from full moon to new moon (waning). Each day opens its own page with every signal for that date.

Full moon dates 2026

DateTime (UTC)Traditional name
Sat 3 Jan10:02Wolf Moonpassed
Mon 2 Feb22:09Snow Moonpassed
Tue 3 Mar11:37Worm Moonpassed
Thu 2 Apr02:12Pink Moonpassed
Fri 1 May17:23Flower Moonpassed
Sun 31 May08:45Blue Moonpassed
Tue 30 Jun23:56Strawberry Moonpassed
Wed 29 Jul14:35Buck Moonpassed
Fri 28 Aug04:18Sturgeon Moonpassed
Sat 26 Sep16:49Harvest Moonpassed
Mon 26 Oct04:11Hunter’s Moonnext
Tue 24 Nov14:53Beaver Moon
Thu 24 Dec01:28Cold Moon

New moon dates 2026

DateTime (UTC)
Sun 18 Jan19:52passed
Tue 17 Feb12:01passed
Thu 19 Mar01:23passed
Fri 17 Apr11:51passed
Sat 16 May20:01passed
Mon 15 Jun02:54passed
Tue 14 Jul09:43passed
Wed 12 Aug17:36passed
Fri 11 Sep03:26passed
Sat 10 Oct15:50passed
Mon 9 Nov07:02next
Wed 9 Dec00:51

The eight moon phases explained

Four principal phases are exact instants; the four in between are the days that connect them.

waxing →← waningEarthNew moonWaxing crescentFirst quarterWaxing gibbousFull moonWaning gibbousLast quarterWaning crescentwaxing →← waningEarthNew moonWaxing crescentFirst quarterWaxing gibbousFull moonWaning gibbousLast quarterWaning crescent
New moonMoon between Earth and Sun; not visible.
Waxing crescentA thin sliver grows on the right after sunset.
First quarterHalf lit; highest at sunset.
Waxing gibbousMore than half lit and still growing.
Full moonFully lit; rises at sunset, sets at sunrise.
Waning gibbousMore than half lit and shrinking; rises late in the evening.
Last quarterHalf lit; highest at sunrise.
Waning crescentA thin sliver before dawn.

Solar and lunar eclipses in 2026

DateEclipseGreatest eclipse (UTC)From Europe
17 February 2026Annular solar eclipse12:12not visible
3 March 2026Total lunar eclipse11:34not visible
12 August 2026Total solar eclipse17:46visible
28 August 2026Partial lunar eclipse04:13visible

Solar and lunar eclipses →

The waning moon is traditionally a time for finishing

Haircut calendar →Folk calendars place trims that should grow back slowly in the waning half of the month.
Clearing and sortingThe two weeks after a full moon are traditionally kept for cleaning, pruning and closing what is open.
Journal promptWhat can I stop carrying before the next new moon?

Questions people ask

When is the full moon in January 2026?

The full moon is on 3 January 2026. Its traditional name is the Wolf Moon. The exact time is in the table on this page.

When is the new moon in January 2026?

The new moon is on 18 January 2026. The Moon can’t be seen that night: it sits between Earth and the Sun with its lit side turned away.

What do the percentages mean?

They show how much of the Moon’s disc is lit at noon. 0% is new moon, 100% is full moon and 50% is a quarter.

Why does another calendar give a different date?

A phase is a moment. When it falls near midnight, the date can differ by one day between time zones. This calendar uses Europe/Vilnius time for the days.

How often is there a full moon?

About every 29.5 days. Some months have two; the second is called a Blue Moon.

Sources
  1. Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd ed., Willmann-Bell, 1998, chapters 48 and 49.
  2. NASA Eclipse Web Site (eclipse dates and visibility).
How this page is made

Numbers update through the day from public sources. The text for each day is written from that day’s data and checked by the editor. Every past day keeps its own page in the archive.

The moon is one of five signals

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