It is set to be an unforgettable New Year for stargazers, with a rare ‘wolf’ supermoon visible in night skies across the world.
Earlier this month stargazers saw the first in a ‘supermoon trilogy’ over the next two months, with others to come on January 1st and 31st.
January’s first full moon, which is nicknamed the Wolf Moon, will peak on January 1st at 9:24 p.m. ET, although it will appear full and bright for the days immediately surrounding the new year as well.
A supermoon was seen in front of a replica of the Statue of Liberty sitting atop the Liberty Building in downtown Buffalo, New York last night. Two more supermoons are expected to grace skies across the world again on 1 January and 31 January
It was known by early Native American tribes as the ‘Wolf Moon’, because this was the time of the year when hungry wolf packs howled outside their camps.
The 2018 Wolf Moon is also a ‘supermoon’, which means it coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth – known as the perigee, and it will appear up to 7% bigger than an average Full Moon.
However, don’t worry if you miss it – experts say the January 31st supermoon will be even more impressive.
It will feature a total lunar eclipse, with totality viewable from western North America across the pacific to Eastern Asia.
The Moon’s orbit around our planet is tilted so it usually falls above or below the shadow of the Earth.
About twice each year, a full Moon lines up perfectly with the Earth and Sun such that Earth’s shadow totally blocks the Sun’s light, which would normally reflect off the Moon.
‘The supermoons are a great opportunity for people to start looking at the Moon, not just that once but every chance they have!’ says Noah Petro, a research scientist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
‘The lunar eclipse on January 31 will be visible during moonset.
The supermoon was seen shining brightly behind the Shard building in London this morning. Last night’s moon appeared 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than usual as it lit up the sky
‘Folks in the Eastern United States, where the eclipse will be partial, will have to get up in the morning to see it,’ said Petro.
‘But it’s another great chance to watch the Moon.’
The Moon will lose its brightness and take on an eerie, fainter-than-normal glow from the scant sunlight that makes its way through Earth’s atmosphere.
Often cast in a reddish hue because of the way the atmosphere bends the light, totally eclipsed Moons are sometimes called ‘blood Moons.’
The vibrant supermoon was seen shining behind the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Nasa says the December sighting will be the third part of a trilogy this winter
The supermoon, dubbed the ‘full cold moon’, rose over the University of Notre Dame’s main building yesterday evening in South Bend, Indiana
‘We’re seeing all of the Earth’s sunrises and sunsets at that moment reflected from the surface of the Moon,’ says Sarah Noble, a Program Scientist at NASA headquarters.
The January 31st supermoon will also be the second full Moon of the month.
Some people call the second full Moon in a month a Blue Moon, that makes it a super ‘blue Moon.’
Blue Moons happen every two and a half years, on average.
With the total eclipse, it’ll be a royal spectacle indeed: a ‘super blue blood’ Moon.
Earlier this months the ‘full cold moon’, glowed behind historic national monuments and landmarks all over the world such as London’s Shard and the Statue of Liberty in New York.
A plane was seen crossing in front of the so-called supermoon in Avondale Estates, Georgia. A supermoon describes a moon that is at its closest distance to the Earth with the moon appearing larger than usual
The Cold Moon appeared 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than usual across the planet.
‘Supermoons are a great opportunity for people to start looking at the moon, not just that once but every chance they have!’ research scientist at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Noah Petro said.
The supermoon made its spectacular appearance over Britain, giving skygazers a treat as it moves closer to Earth.
Tom Kerss, an astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, said the exact moment of full moon – when the moon sits opposite the sun in the sky, which was 3.47pm (10.47am ET) in the United Kingdom.
He added: ‘This year’s Cold Moon is closer to us than the average full moon this year; close enough to qualify as a supermoon, according to the widely accepted definition.
The ‘supermoon’ was captured behind the US Capitol and the Jefferson Memorial on 3 December. The most recent supermoon was around a year ago on November 14, 2016
December’s full moon – traditionally known as the Cold Moon – appeared 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than usual. It is seen over Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire
A supermoon was pictured in front of a replica of the Statue of Liberty in downtown Buffalo New York. The phenomenon happens when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth, known as a perigee Moon, and is also a full moon
Tom Kerss, an astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, said the exact moment of full moon is when the moon sits opposite the sun in the sky. It is pictured over the Penshaw Monument near Sunderland yesterday evening
Astronomer Tom Kerss said: ‘This year’s Cold Moon is closer to us than the average full moon this year; close enough to qualify as a supermoon, according to the widely accepted definition’. Shown here is the supermoon in Warwickshire
The moon is seen behind the Uppatasanti Pagoda seen from Naypyitaw in Myanmar in Southeast Asia
The red-tinted moon appeared to sit on top of the Uppatasanti Pagoda yesterday
The moon is the first of three consecutive supermoons. It reached its peak brightness and size on Monday morning
A statue of The Buddha watches on as the supermoon rose above Yangon, in Myanmar, which is the largest city in the country
The moon was spotted behind a commuter train in Avondale Estates, Georgia. At some points it is about 5 per cent closer to Earth than average, known as perigee, and at others it is 5 per cent further away, known as apogee
The moon is seen as it rises on December 3, 2017 in Washington. Nasa has called the sighting the first in a ‘supermoon trilogy’ over the next two months
An aircraft took off from Ronald Reagan National Airport and is seen passing in front of the moon as it rises in Washington yesterday
Although the moon is the biggest and closest it can be to us experts warn supermoons can often be underwhelming. The moon is pictured risingabove a suspension bridge in Yangon, Myanmar
The moon has a slightly elliptical orbit – it does not move round the Earth in a perfect circle.
At some points it is about 5 per cent closer to Earth than average, known as perigee, and at others it is 5 per cent further away, known as apogee.
The full moon will be 222,761 miles (358,500km) from Earth, closer than its average 238,900 miles (384,500km).
The supermoon is pictured setting over the church of Nuestra Senora de la Encarnacion at dawn in Olvera, near Cadiz, southern Spain
A person is seen walking along the ‘Puente Nuevo’ (New Bridge) as it is silhouetted against the supermoon in Ronda, southern Spain on 3 December
During the moon’s closest pass by Earth, the moon was just 225,744 miles (36,3299 kilometres) away. The phenomenon is pictured rising above Naypyitaw, Myanmar yesterday
Traffic buzzes along a busy highway in Naypyitaw, the capitals of Myanmar, as the supermoon rose above the city yesterday
Mr Kerss said: ‘During moonrise and moonset, you might think the moon looks unusually large, but this is an illusion created in the mind when it appears close to the horizon.
‘In fact, the change in the moon’s apparent size throughout its orbit is imperceptible to the unaided eye.
‘Nevertheless, the ‘moon illusion’ can be a dramatic effect, and with the moon rising so early, there will be ample opportunities to see its apparently huge face juxtaposed with the eastern skyline.’
With the moon being as close to Earth as it is, there is a significant impact on the tides.
When the moon is closest, the tide will be at its highest, and the same happens with a new or full moon.
This happens on a monthly basis, but occasionally the point of perigee aligns with a new or full moon and results in a ‘perigean spring tide’.
These are particularly high tides that can influence the oceans and raise sea level by a number of inches.