Are you ready to howl?
This is the best month of the year to howl at the full moon. Known as the full "wolf moon," January's luminous lunar offering ushers in the new year, named after the haunting cries of wolves on cold winter nights.
Wolves tend "to howl more during the winter months" and to define territory, locate pack members, and gather for hunting, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Last year's full wolf moon was also known as a "supermoon" because it appeared about 15 per cent brighter and seven per cent bigger than a regular full moon due to its proximity to earth.
EarthSky notes that astronomers usually refer to supermoons as perigean full moons — a term that simply refers to the moon being "near earth."
But this year's howling moon won't appear larger than a typical full moon. In fact, it will look somewhat smaller than normal.
This year, January's full moon is also known as a "micromoon," meaning that it will appear smaller because it is at its farthest point from earth, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
The moon will be at its fullest in Vancouver on Jan. 6, 2023, at 3:07 p.m., according to timeanddate.com's lunar calendar.
