Sky-watchers have posted spectacular pictures of the first Wolf Moon of 2026.
The supermoon will be dramatically illuminating the UK’s sky throughout today.
It will be at its fullest at 10am but will be at its most impressive when closest to the horizon at evening moonrise.
For Brits hoping to catch a glimpse of the Wolf Moon, it will be visible across the UK with clear skies forecast.
In North Yorkshire a pretty snap of the supermoon showed it rising over a farmhouse in the village of Stokesley.
A plane bound for Heathrow was spotted from Richmond Park flying with the Wolf supermoon behind it.
And in Ely, Cambridgeshire, the supermoon has been seen rising above the city’s cathedral.
Last night, sightseers on the London Eye gathered to capture a picture of the capital’s full moon.
In North Yorkshire a pretty snap of the supermoon showed it rising over a farmhouse in the village of Stokesley
A plane bound for Heathrow was spotted from Richmond Park flying with the Wolf supermoon behind it
In Ely, Cambridgeshire, the supermoon has been seen rising above the city’s cathedral
Last night, sightseers on the LondonEye gathered to capture a picture of the capital’s full moon
Across the world, breathtaking pictures of the moon have already been snapped by avid sky-watchers.
In Baltimore, USA, the supermoon was seen rising over the city’s skyline.
Meanwhile, in the Mexican city of Cocoyoc, it was captured beside the Popocatepetl volcano brighten up the sky in the hazy heat of last night.
One particular surreal photo shows the moon behind the crescent moon of mosque’s minaret in Srinagar – in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
The term ‘Wolf Moon’ for a January full moon is believed to have originated from medieval Europe because it was believed to be a time of year when wolves howled more due to the lack of available food.
These different names were helpful in the olden days to mark the changing of the names as the names tended to relate to the time of year – such as the Flower Moon in May and the Corn Moon in September.
It is the fourth supermoon in a row after October’s Harvest Moon, November’s Beaver Moon and the Cold Moon in December.
However, for those unlucky to miss today’s Wolf Moon, there won’t be another supermoon until November.
In the Mexican city of Cocoyoc, the Wolf Moon was captured beside the Popocatepetl volcano brighten up the sky in the hazy heat of last night
A man walks with a dog as the moon is seen in the background on a cold morning in the hills of Ditchling Beacon in East Sussex
Picturesque scenes in Richmond Park as the supermoon rises over the Royal Park
There will however be two extra full moons in May making 2026 a rare year with 13 instead of 12 full Moons. The phrase ‘once in a blue moon’ comes from this phenomenon.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as the perigee.
During tomorrow’s perigee, the moon will be 225,130 miles (362,312 km) from Earth, over 20,000 miles (32,000 km) closer than its furthest point.
That will make the moon appear 14 per cent bigger and up to 30 per cent brighter as it rises tomorrow evening.
In another rare winter treat, British moon watchers can also look forward to largely clear skies this evening.
The Met Office forecasts only patchy cloud over most of England and Wales, with some light cloud cover in Scotland and the northeast of England.
A surreal photo shows the moon behind the crescent moon of mosque’s minaret in Srinagar – in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir
In Baltimore, USA, the supermoon was seen rising over the city
The term ‘Wolf Moon’ for a January full moon is believed to have originated from medieval Europe because it was believed to be a time of year when wolves howled more due to the lack of available food
However, be aware that yellow and amber snow and ice warnings are in place over parts of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
If you are heading out to see the supermoon, be sure to check your local forecast and dress appropriately in warm clothing.
Today’s full moon is rare because not every full moon is a supermoon, and there may be only three or four supermoons in a typical year.
The exact timing of moonrise will vary slightly depending on your latitude, but the moon should start to be visible from about 15:15pm in the UK.
