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.
Images show the supermoon behind Stonehenge in Wiltshire, south-west England, this morning
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
Picturesque scenes in Richmond Park as the supermoon rises over the Royal Park
Images show it setting behind Stonehenge in Wiltshire, south-west England, on Saturday morning.
Others capture it looming above Glasgow, Scotland, and the Thames Estuary in Minster, Kent, south-east England.
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.
Jess Lee, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said on Friday: ‘Every full moon throughout the year has its own unique nickname.
Last night, sightseers on the LondonEye 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
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
‘The January full moon is often called the Wolf Moon, a name inspired by wolves that were thought to roam during the long winter nights.’
She added: ‘You don’t need any special equipment or to escape light pollution to enjoy the view, it’s a beautiful sight in cities and rural areas alike.’
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.
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.
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
A crimson Wolf supermoon over Cha-Am Beach, in Phetchaburi province, Thailand
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.
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.
The phases of the moon
Like Earth, the Moon has a day side and a night side, which change as the Moon rotates.
The Sun always illuminates half of the Moon while the other half remains dark, but how much we are able to see of that illuminated half changes as the Moon travels through its orbit.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the phases of the moon are:
1. New Moon
This is the invisible phase of the Moon, with the illuminated side of the Moon facing the Sun and the night side facing Earth.
2. Waxing crescent
This silver sliver of a Moon occurs when the illuminated half of the Moon faces mostly away from Earth, with only a tiny portion visible to us from our planet.
3. First Quarter
The Moon is now a quarter of the way through its monthly journey and you see half of its illuminated side.
4. Waxing Gibbous
Now most of the Moon’s dayside has come into view, and the Moon appears brighter in the sky.
5. Full Moon
This is as close as we come to seeing the Sun’s illumination of the entire day side of the Moon.
6. Waning Gibbous
As the Moon begins its journey back toward the Sun, the opposite side of the Moon now reflects the Moon’s light.
7. Last Quarter
The Moon looks like it’s half illuminated from the perspective of Earth, but really you’re seeing half of the half of the Moon that’s illuminated by the Sun ― or a quarter.
8. Waning Crescent
The Moon is nearly back to the point in its orbit where its dayside directly faces the Sun, and all that we see from our perspective is a thin curve.
