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Supermoon, Wolf Moon or just a full moon - whatever you call it, last night’s skies were fuller and brighter for anyone who went out to sneak a peak.
The first supermoon of the year stunned viewers as it rose over the country, though some were in disagreement over whatto call the phenomenon.
“Supermoon isn’t technically an astronomical term, so there’s not really a strict definition of what is and isn’t a supermoon,” said Rob Davison from Auckland’s Te Whatu Stardome.
Generally, “supermoon” refers to when a full moon coincides with the moon being near or at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, he said. When the moon is at its closest point, it is called a perigee moon.
The supermoon on January 3, 2026 rising behind Auckland's Sky Tower. Photo / Adrienne White
On average, the moon is about 380,000km away from the Earth, but in the last few days it has been about 360,000km away, Davison said.
“Some people will say that supermoons don’t exist at all, that it’s not a real thing. Whether it’s a supermoon doesn’t matter too much, but yeah, it was a full moon and the moon was near its closest point to Earth.”
While some have also referred to it as a “Wolf Moon”, the name given to the full moon in January, Davison said this was an American term not used in New Zealand.
Other well-known moons included the Harvest Moon and the Strawberry Moon.
Delphi Murdoch, 5, observes the supermoon over Taupō Bay, on Saturday. Photo / Vicki Murdoch
“At least to us, here, they don’t mean anything. They are kind of names and nicknames that can be given to full moons at certain times of the year.”
Last night’s supermoon was “pretty cool to see”, Davison said.
Supermoons can be about 14% larger than normal and up to 30% brighter than when it is at its smallest.
“It sounds really impressive,” he said, noting it happens every year.
Depending on a person’s definition of a supermoon, the next one could be next month, or even a year away, but Davison said the full moons before and after a supermoon could be just as remarkable to look at.
Kiwis have taken to social media to share their snaps of the moon, including Adrienne White, who posted perfectly timed shots of the moon rising behind Auckland’s Sky Tower.
White told the Herald New Zealand was lucky “that Mother Nature performed for us”.
She shot her photo with a long focal point length and crop sensor, which created the magnified effect on the moon.
“Nature never fails to amaze,” wrote another poster, sharing a video of the moon glowing brightly.
