Pakistan will witness the first super moon of the new year tonight (Saturday).

The super moon will rise at 5.51pm with an illumination of nearly 100 per cent.

The moon will remain clearly visible throughout the night, especially around midnight.

The January 3 supermoon will be the last in a cycle that began in October 2025, while also marking the first supermoon of the new year.

Supermoons occur when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth, making it appear larger and brighter than usual.

“The January 3 supermoon, traditionally known as the Wolf Moon, marks the final supermoon of the ongoing cycle that began in October 2025,” the national space agency, SUPARCO, said in a statement, adding that it also “simultaneously represents the first supermoon of 2026.”

The agency said the supermoon would rise in Pakistan at 5.51pm on January 3 and remain visible through the nights of January 3 and January 4, with illumination reaching 99.8 per cent.

According to SUPARCO, the Moon will be at a distance of about 362,312 kilometres from Earth during the event, making it appear six to seven per cent larger and up to 10 per cent brighter than a typical full moon.

The astronomical significance of the event will be enhanced by its timing.

“The supermoon of January 3 offers an early highlight among the year’s celestial events, such as coinciding with the peak activity of the Quadrantid meteor shower during the same time period,” the statement said.

SUPARCO noted that supermoons usually occur in clusters of three to four consecutive events and said the current cycle would conclude with Friday’s phenomenon.

“The next supermoon cycle starts in November 2026,” the agency said, adding that there would be no further supermoons after this until the end of 2026.