A ‘wolf moon’ is rising above London tonight – here’s how to see it

Get ready to howl: there’s going to be a full moon rising over London tonight, and it’s set to be an extra-special one...

The ‘wolf moon’, generally reckoned to have been named by the Algonquin tribe of North America after the packs of wolves that howled at it in the middle of winter, is the first full moon of the year – and tonight’s coincides with a penumbral lunar eclipse. This means that although the moon will be visible, the light reflected from it will appear darker owing to the earth’s shadow. Spooky!

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The wolf moon is scheduled to begin rising into the sky above London at 3:51pm this afternoon. The good news is that tonight’s weather forecast is for partial cloud cover and light wind, so if you head to one of our pick of London’s best stargazing spots you might get lucky. Wrap up warm and let us know how you get on. 

Need more after-dark inspiration? Check out our guide to late-night London.