UK skygazers were given a treat as clear skies gave people up and down the country the chance to see stunning views of the Wolf Moon.
The first full moon of the year, known as the Wolf Moon, was clearly on display this year with the fog that covered the UK for much of last week having left just in time.
It has become commonly known as the Wolf Moon as it was the name given by Europeans, native Americans and others because wolves appeared to be heard howling more at the moon at this time of the year and it was thought it was because they were hungry.
The sun went down between 4.30pm and 5pm on Monday with the full moon already visible in the sky.
And the Wolf Moon peaked at 11.48pm with many people having headed out to take snaps thanks to the especially good weather conditions.
A high pressure had seen fog and mist for much of the UK for a week but light winds and drizzle saw it lift going into Monday.
“Tonight’s #WolfMoon . The first #FullMoon of 2022 and conditions could not have been more perfect for capturing it from the rooftops of Belfast!” tweeted one person with a snap of a golden moon.
Another said: “I thought the #WolfMoon rise was epic…spun 180 & wow what a sunset. How epic is Nature.”
There were many similar comments from people who had headed out into the cold and taken pictures, from back gardens to unique locations including Stonehenge and Edinburgh castle.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, January's full moon was named so because villagers used to hear packs of wolves howling in hunger around this time of year. It is also known as the Old Moon.
The publication stated that the first full moon of the year gets its name from a number of places, including "Native American, Colonial American and European sources".
The Old Farmer's Almanac explained: "It was traditionally believed that wolves howled due to hunger during winter, but we know today that wolves howl for different reasons.
"Howling and other wolf vocalizations are generally used to define territory, locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, and coordinate hunting."
The next full moon, the Snow Moon, will occur on February 16.
The full moon occurs every 29.5 days when it is completely illuminated by the sun's rays.
This happens when the Earth is directly aligned between the sun and the moon.
Most years there are 12 full moons, however some years have 13. This means some months see two full moons and this is what is known as a Blue Moon.
