Back to Articles Image Of The Day

Full Moonlight

📖 3 min read 📊 beginner 🏷️ NASA APOD

In Brief

The Full Moon is the brightest lunar phase, and tonight you can stand in the light of the first Full Moon of 2026. In fact, the Moon's full phase occurs on January 3 at 10:03 UTC, while only about 7 hours later planet Earth reaches its 2026 perihelion, the closest point in its elliptical orbit aroun...

Full Moonlight

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Full Story

The Full Moon is the brightest lunar phase, and tonight you can stand in the light of the first Full Moon of 2026. In fact, the Moon's full phase occurs on January 3 at 10:03 UTC, while only about 7 hours later planet Earth reaches its 2026 perihelion, the closest point in its elliptical orbit around the Sun, at 17:16 UTC. January's Full Moon was also not far from its own perigee, or closest approach to planet Earth. For this lunation the Moon's perigee was on January 1 at 21:44 UTC. You can als...

Key Takeaways

  • 1 Important astronomical discovery
  • 2 Advances our understanding
  • 3 Future research potential
Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope

Computerized telescope perfect for beginners. Features a 130mm aperture and automated tracking to explore the night sky.

Check Price on Amazon
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

How We Know This

Scientific observation and analysis

What This Means

Contributes to our knowledge of the universe

Why It Matters

Important advance in astronomy

Related Topics

#astronomy #discovery