Kent is set to be graced by a lunar spectacle later this week when a ‘Full Wolf Moon’ rises into the night sky.
The nights may remain long during these cold winter months but at least there is a spell of bright moonlight on the way to look forward to.
A full wolf moon is on the way
That’s because we’re set to revel in the first full moon of 2021, affectionately dubbed a ‘Wolf Moon’.
The phenomenon occurs when the moon is situated on the opposite side of Earth to the sun and therefore fully reflects its light.
As a result the entire face of the moon is illuminated.
But just why is it called a Wolf Moon?
It’s thought the name stems from the fact wolves were more often heard howling at this time outside villages, often when hungry and short of food.
Wolves are fabled to howl during this period when food is scarce.
But there is no general consensus and others suggest the moniker actually originates from Native American tribes, who adopted the idea as a method of timekeeping.
Other names for this month’s full moon include old moon and ice moon.
So when can I see this Wolf Moon?
The January full moon will be in the skies above the UK on Thursday evening.
But its glare should still look impressively bright to the naked eye for a couple of nights either side.
It will rise just after 4pm for most of Thursday evening, and will likely be at its fullest just over three hours later, at around 7.15pm.
There’s no need to rush outside with the telescope though as it wont set again until 8am the next morning, so youll have plenty of time to observe it over the course of the night.
Last years wolf moon saw an eclipse that was described as a “super blue blood wolf moon eclipse”.
This year we’ll just have to settle for an ordinary full wolf moon.
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