Wolf supermoon appears in clear UK skies

This year’s Wolf supermoon has appeared in UK skies that were clear for most of the country.

Visibility was good but the weather was cold for many people admiring the first full moon of the year, which is also known as the Wolf Moon.

According to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the name was inspired by the howling of hungry wolves as they prowled for food during midwinter months.

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.

The Wolf Moon was at its fullest at around 10am on Saturday, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich said.

Temperatures fell below freezing overnight for many, and were still around 0C at 10am.

South-west England and west Wales were warmer and some places had reached 4C by the moon’s zenith.

It was a supermoon, which occurs when a full moon is near its closest point to the Earth in its orbit – meaning it appears up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter compared to when it is furthest away.

Jess Lee, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said on Friday: “Every full moon throughout the year has its own unique nickname.

“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.”