Have you ever felt the sudden urge to howl at the moon?
On a crisp evening this past January, just after 5:00 PM, I found myself captivated by what I thought was a “moon illusion.” A massive, amber orb was staring back at me. What I had heard in passing was true: 2026 was kicking off with a spectacular Wolf Moon, and I was witnessing it rise over the Sacré-Cœur Basilica.
The Chase: Sunset vs. Moonrise
Earlier that afternoon, a glance at my weather app revealed a rare celestial alignment: the sunset and moonrise were scheduled to happen almost simultaneously. On a hunch, I headed toward the Pont de l’Alma. I hoped that from the vantage point of the Seine’s bridges, I might be lucky enough to catch the sun dipping down in the west while the moon rose in the east.
After stepping out of the Metro Alma-Marceau, I reached the noisy intersection and stood on the triangular curb. Turning toward the northeast using my star app to find the moon, I stopped in my tracks. The moon performed a trick of perspective just above the horizon. I was so excited, I began shooting images immediately, forgetting to adjust my camera settings.
The result was a happy accident. The underexposed, dark settings accentuated the Wolf Moon’s markings, capturing its amber glow at 30% more brilliance than a standard full moon. Just in front, using my zoom lens, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica appeared as a large greyish silhouette in a sky clearer than it had been in days.
In the foreground, the twinkling holiday lights of Avenue Montaigne added a touch of Parisian luster to the scene. I was so taken by the moon’s ascent and the speed of its movement away from one of church towers, that the setting sun slipped away completely unnoticed.
Moon Names are an Ancient Tradition
There is something exciting about tracking the moon in Paris. It’s fun to look for monuments in relation to a Supermoon. This January full moon was the fourth “Supermoon” in a sequence that began last October with the Harvest Moon, followed by November’s Beaver Moon and December’s Cold Moon.
According to ancient traditions, names were used to track the seasons long before the arrival of modern calendars. The Wolf Moon is a creature of deep winter. It is said to be named for the wolves that would howl outside villages during the bitter cold of January. I missed the other three Supermoons, too cold and too dark. I could not let this one slip away so I bundled up!
Tips for Future Moon-Gazing
If you want to catch a glimpse of the moon through your own eyes, a little bit of tech goes a long way. I use an app called SkyView® to pinpoint exactly where the moon would break the horizon.
It isn’t always easy; the night after my success at Pont de l’Alma, I was out hunting again trying to capture the 99.9% full moon from a different angle in a different part of the city. In the piercing cold trying to get a clear shot down another avenue, the app showed me that the moon was hidden directly behind a building.
If you are planning your own Parisian moon-hunt, the Trocadéro esplanade is usually your “sure bet” for a clear, elevated perspective.
Mark your calendars for the rest of 2026:
- May 2026: A rare month featuring two full moons, with the second being a Blue Moon on May 31st.
- November 24 & December 24: The next two Supermoons.
Resources for your Journey
To plan your own evening under the stars, I recommend these resources:
- TheSkyLive Moon Calendar: For precise lunar phases.
- Royal Museums Greenwich: A great guide to the 13 full moons of 2026.
- NASA APOD: For stunning daily celestial photography.