Mars meets the Wolf Moon. Tomorrow you can see the Red Planet skim by the first full Moon of 2025 – Sky at Night Magazine

Iain ToddIf you’re excited to see the Wolf Moon this week – the first full Moon of 2025 – you’re in for a treat, because the planet Mars will be visible in the night sky right next to it.On 13 January, if you step outside around 19:30 UTC and look to the east, you’ll see the full Moon rising higher and higher in the sky.Just below and to the left of the Moon will be a red ‘star’, which is the planet Mars.And if you’re based in the USA, you’ll get to see the Wolf Moon lunar occultation of Mars.For more advice, listen to our weekly Star Diary podcast and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter.Mars and the Moon will get closer and closer throughout the night, climbing higher in the sky together and heading towards the southeast as midnight approaches.Here we’ll reveal more about Mars’s meeting with the Wolf Moon, and how to make the most of the spectacle.The Wolf Moon is the name given to the full Moon in January, the first full Moon of the year.Each month’s full Moon has obtained an informal nickname over the years, and these names reflect what’s happening in nature during the month in question.The Wolf Moon, the story goes, is so-called because wolves don’t hibernate in winter, and are very much active during January.Perhaps the sound of wolves howling on the night of a full Moon, while many other animals were still slumbering, is what led to the nickname being adopted.But the name Wolf Moon doesn’t indicate the January full Moon will look or act any differently than any other full Moon you’ll see.Find out more by reading our guide detailing when the next full Moon is visible.It’s a good month to observe Mars, not least because the winter skies are nice and dark, and the evenings are still long.But January 2025 is also a great time to observe Mars because the Red Planet is approaching opposition on 16 January.Opposition in astronomy means the planet is opposite the Sun in the sky, and that Mars will appear big and bright: at its best for viewing.From 12–16 January will be a great time to observe Mars through a telescope and get a look at its features.But the Red Planet’s brilliance won’t suddenly deteriorate once opposition is over: stay with it for the rest of the month and make the most of its favourable position in the sky.Naked-eye stargazers are in for a treat, because brilliant Mars will join the January 2025 full Moon – the Wolf Moon – in the sky.Observing from around 19:30 UTC on 13 January will reveal the full Moon in the eastern sky, Mars below and to the left of it.By 22:30 UTC, Mars and the Moon will be even closer together, and will have tracked higher across the sky, now appearing in the southeast.By midnight on 13 January, Mars will be to the left of the Moon, and the two will now be in the south.From this point onwards, both bodies will be heading towards the western horizon, but Mars will get ever closer to the Moon, skimming the northern edge of the lunar disc in the very early hours of 14 January.Of course, this is all a trick of perspective. Mars isn’t really anywhere near the Moon: it just appears this way in the night sky, as we see it from Earth.Observe Mars and the Moon later on 14 January as they rise above the eastern horizon in the early evening, and you’ll notice Mars is now above and to the right of the Moon, the two bodies getting farther apart as the evening draws on.The celestial tango is now over, but the good news is that Mars becomes ever more distant from the waning Moon as the month goes on, giving you a better chance to observe the Red Planet in isolation.For more info, read our guide on how to observe Mars.If you observe Mars and the Wolf Moon or capture an image of it, share your experiences and images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com.Iain ToddScience journalist

Source: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/mars-wolf-moon-2025