While Saturday will mark the first full moon of 2026, it won't just be the typical one you see every month; it will be a supermoon and a 'wolf moon' at the same time.
It will also be the end of a four-month string of supermoons, and if you miss it, you'll need to wait until November to see a similarly large and bright moon in the sky.
Supermoons and wolf moons
The Moon's orbit around Earth is elliptical, not a perfect circle, so the Moon's distance from Earth is not always the same.
A supermoon happens when the full moon is at its closest point to Earth, called its 'perigee'.
The perigee is usually around 363,300km, and on Saturday night, the full moon's distance from the Earth will be about that distance, according to NASA.
As well as the fourth month in a row with a supermoon, tonight's lunar light show will also be what's known as a 'wolf moon'.
Different cultures have historically assigned unique names to full moons to reflect things happening around them at that time of year, such as the term 'snow moon' for a full moon in February, a month known for snow in the northern hemisphere.
The term 'wolf moon' is thought to have been used by Native Americans and medieval Europeans to refer to the full moon in January, a time of year when wolves are believed to howl more than at any other time.
When's the best time to watch the full moon tonight?
The moon will be officially full at 9:02 pm AEDT, which is when the actual wolf supermoon begins.
The best time to view it is around dusk, when the moon will seem most grand thanks to an optical illusion that makes our eyes perceive objects on the horizon as larger.
If you miss it tonight, you'll need to wait until 6 November and 5 December for the next supermoons.
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