A FULL Wolf Moon will be lighting up the night sky tonight.
The Wolf Moon will be at its largest this evening but will continue to look big tomorrow.
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It will be the first full Moon of 2021.
Full moons happen when the Moon is situated on the opposite side of Earth to the Sun, which means its face can be fully illuminated.
The name Full Wolf Moon is associated with early Native American tribes who observed hungry wolves howling outside their camps around the same time of year as this phenomenon.
The lunar event is also referred to as the Moon After Yule and the Old Moon.
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How to spot the Full Wolf Moon
To spot the Wolf Moon at its fullest you should look for it on January 28.
If there’s no clouds, it should be visible in an easterly direction from the afternoon but will be more visible after sunset when it gets dark.
In the UK you should look around 7pm but viewers in the US should look earlier in the afternoon around 3pm ET.
As it gets higher it will appear smaller.
Earlier risers can look for the Wolf Moon on the morning of January 29.
Just before sunrise it will be low on the western horizon.
However, the Moon will be looking big and bright from around January 27 to 29 so if it’s very cloudy one evening you can always look again.
The different types of moons
Here are some of the most interesting moon phases and when to see them…
A Blue Moon refers to the occasion when a full Moon appears for the second time in the same month, this is very rare.
The Harvest Moon appears around the time of the autumnal equinox when farmers tend to do their main crop harvesting.
A Supermoon appears when it is at its closest point to Earth and therefore at its brightest.
A Blood Moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse.
Each month of the year actually has its own special full moon phenomenon, they are as follows:
- January: Wolf Moon
- February: Snow Moon
- March: Worm Moon
- April: Pink Moon
- May: Flower Moon
- June: Strawberry Moon
- July: Buck Moon
- August: Sturgeon Moon
- September: Full Corn Moon
- October: Hunter’s Moon
- November: Beaver Moon
- December: Cold Moon.
Full ‘Corn Moon’ lights up the sky over the UK
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In other space news, four Supermoons will be gracing the night sky in 2021.
Dead alien civilisations could be littered all over our galaxy, according to a new study.
And, Nasa announced its first team of astronauts that will be heading for the Moon.
Are you an avid stargazer? Let us know in the comments…
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
