Full Wolf Moon set to rise above UK night sky this week
The first full moon of 2021 will peak on January 28.
The UK will be treated to a spectacular full moon later this week as the ‘Full Wolf Moon’ rises in the night sky.
The Full Wolf Moon will officially reach its peak on the night of Thursday, January 28. But it should still look impressively bright on the nights either side of this date.
This will be the first full moon of 2021 and will be visible from any part of the UK. The view will be even more spectacular if the night stays clear of clouds.
Although it has come to be known as the Full Wolf Moon, this particular lunar event is also called the Old Moon and the Moon After Yule.
A full moon occurs when the moon is situated on the opposite side of Earth to the sun and therefore fully reflects its light. The entire face of the moon is illuminated and the result is hard to miss.
Why is 2021’s first full moon called the Wolf Moon?
Like the other full moons during the course of the year, the January full moon has a native American name that has become a popular way to mark in in the calendar.
In this case, the native Americans noted that wolves had grown hungry through the long winter.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the packs of wolves would howl outside Indian villages.
‘Those in the countryside, whether it’s Native Americans, or farmers, already know what many city dwellers don’t – the full moon merits attention,’ astrologist Shelley von Strunckel explained to Metro.co.uk.
‘They live close to the land (in a way we city folk have no idea about…) and so link the season during which the full moon takes place to what nature around them is up to.’
Don’t believe in all this full moon mumbo jumbo? Well there’s also some science to be had.
‘Here in the UK, a farmer who ferments manure into fertiliser said the process speeds up much at the full moon that he has to turn down the thermostat on his vats,’ says Shelley.
According to Shelley, wine farmers in rural France actually farm according to the lunar cycle.
The cycle influences water so farmers use bio-dynamic farming methods and harvest their grapes according to the moon, as this ensures they have enough moisture to make seriously good wine.
How to see the Full Wolf Moon above the UK this week
You don’t really need us to tell you this. All you have to do is head outside and look up.
Wherever you are in the UK, you should be able to get a good look at the moon from 7pm onwards.
Remember to wrap up warm and, if you plan to photograph the moon or the night sky you want as wide an f/stop as your lens allows, and shutter speed of about 20 seconds. Any more than that and the stars will start to blur.
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