The January full moon soared through the winter sky on Jan. 3, putting on an awe-inspiring display as it flooded the night with reflected sunlight to kick off a new year of spectacular lunar milestones. Read on to see jaw-dropping images of the first full moon and supermoon of 2026.
January's moon — often known as the "Wolf Moon" in reference to the packs of famished carnivores that can be heard howling this time of year — turned full as it sat close to its minimal distance to Earth in its 27-day orbit, giving rise to an enchanting supermoon.
A supermoon can appear up to 30% brighter and 14% larger than the smallest moon of the year, presenting a gorgeous sight to the naked eye and an unmissable target for photographers attempting to capture the fully-lit face of Earth's closest cosmic companion.
Experienced photographers seized the opportunity to line up impressive compositions as the Wolf Moon prowled low over the eastern horizon on the nights surrounding Jan. 3, before tracking it as the lunar disk leapt high overhead to hunt the stars through the night sky.
The January full Wolf Supermoon in photos
Photographer Gary Hershorn captured a gorgeous view of the moon hanging above the New York City skyline, where it joined the artificial glow of the city to cast columns of light across the Hudson River, as wisps of cloud played through the sky overhead.
Hershorn also captured a classic image of the lunar disk as it appeared to skim the Statue of Liberty's torch in New York around sunset on that same day (Jan. 3).
Kevin McCarthy snapped a beautifully detailed shot of the Wolf Supermoon's silvery light in the skies over North Carolina on Jan. 3, highlighting the bright streaks of material cast out from young impact sites.
"It was cloudy and we had rain for most of the day in Charlotte, North Carolina, but the skies cleared at sunset, giving me a clear view as the Wolf Super Moon rose," McCarthy told Space.com in an email. "This photo was hand-held and I took a series of images to make sure I could capture one with maximum clarity."
The next image was taken on the night of Jan. 3 as the moon rose over the historic hilltop that plays host to the Glastonbury Tor, in Somerset, U.K.
Matt Cardy's photo appears to show the moon balanced atop the 14th-century tower, as stargazers gather to witness the natural light show.
Cardy also used his telephoto lens to capture the lunar disk as it passed through a collection of Christmas lights, the unfocused light from which encircled the silvery moon with a multitude of yellow-orange spheres
Photographer Lisa Shislowski was also able to take a colorful view of Earth's natural satellite from her vantage point in Plantation, Florida.
"About 20 minutes before the sunrise this morning, the skies were pastel in color," said Shislowski in an email to Space.com. "The full moon was getting closer to setting through the fog over the Everglades in Weston, Florida. It was truly beautiful to see."
Photographer Wang Jianmin lined up a majestic shot of the full moon positioned at the apex of a traditional tower in the city of Lianyungang in China's Jiangsu Province on Jan. 3.
Kirill Kudryavtsev opted to capture both the ancient and the new at once, by snapping a commercial airliner as it soared past the lunar disk in the skies over Frankfurt, Germany, on Jan. 2, leaving a dense exhaust trail that bisected the dark basaltic plains scarring the lunar disk.
The next shot immortalized the moon as its light reflected in the freezing waters of a wild river running through the snowy landscape in the Mengen district of Bolu, Turkey, on Jan. 2, mere hours before the lunar disk turned full. Its orange light is the result of an atmospheric effect called Rayleigh Scattering, wherein particles deflect the bluer wavelengths of light reflected from the lunar surface, while allowing redder wavelengths to pass through relatively unaffected.
Photographer Adnan Farzat captured the Wolf Moon as it rose over Paris above an ocean of clouds on the night of Jan. 3. Subtle dark patches on the lunar surface betray the presence of colossal basaltic plains, where lava flows coated vast swathes of Earth's natural satellite, before solidifying in the extreme environment of space.
Sun Yongdong froze a moment in time as the orange moon rose above the serene mountains in Beijing, China, later that same night.
Our next lunar view comes courtesy of Ismeal Adnan Yaqoob, who imaged the lunar disk on the night of Jan. 3 as it passed the apex of the Royal Clock Tower over Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Finally, photographer Aditya Irawan was able to take a gorgeously detailed shot of the full Wolf Moon as it hung in the skies over West Java in Indonesia. Tycho Crater dominates the right side of the lunar disk, as the Kepler and Copernicus impact sites brighten the southern lunar maria.
Feeling inspired to capture your own shots of the lunar disk? Then be sure to read our roundup of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography, along with our guide to imaging the moon. If you're in the mood for more astrophotography then you can also check out our 10 favorite astrophotos of 2025 as submitted by Space.com's readers!
Editor's Note: If you would like to share your lunar astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
