Wolf Moon: First full moon of 2022 will rise over clear skies tonight

‘Stay warm, but when the sky is clear, take advantage of these early nightfalls and late sunrises to get out, look up, and share the wonders of the sky,’ Nasa says

Space Moon Satellites (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The UK will be treated to a rare spectacle on Monday evening, as the peak of a full moon coincides with clear skies across most parts of the country.

The first full moon of 2022, traditionally known as the Wolf Moon by Native American tribes, peaks at 10.48pm GMT on 17 January in the UK (6.48pm EST), though will appear full on both nights either side of this time.

The best time to see it will be shortly after sunset, when the Moon rises above the horizon and appears bigger due to an optical trick known as the Moon Illusion.

Tonight’s moon will rise in the East, on the opposite side of the sky to where the Sun sets at around 4.30pm.

The UK Met Office’s weather forecast for Monday stated that “most areas will be fine and dry” around this time, though warned of some cloud in parts of the far north and west of Scotland, as well as northwest England.

There will be clear skies across most parts of the UK on Monday evening, according to the Met Office’s weather forecast (Met Office)

“As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honour of the full Moon,” Nasa’s Gordon Johnston wrote in a blog post.

“Stay warm, but when the sky is clear, take advantage of these early nightfalls and late sunrises to get out, look up, and share the wonders of the sky.”

Other features that will be visible in the northern hemisphere on Monday evening include Jupiter and Saturn, which can both be seen above the southwestern horizon.

Early on Tuesday morning, both Mars and Venus will be visible above the southeastern horizon.

The next full Moon will peak on 16 February at around 4pm GMT, when the Sun is still in the sky and therefore obscuring ground-based views.