This month, people of the UK will be able to step out and witness the first full moon of 2021.

As the nights remain long – though they are getting shorter – the country will be subject to some bright moonlight.

That's because January is when the first full moon of 2021 occurs, dubbed a 'Wolf' moon.

But how can you see it, when exactly will it be full – and just why is January's full moon called a 'Wolf' Moon?

Here is everything you need to know.

What is a 'Wolf' Moon?

The majority of pre-modern calendars used the moon as the basis for the names of their months, a convention ended by the introduction of the solar Julian and Gregorian calendars.

In modern times, the moons have developed new names, the majority of which have roots attributed to Native American traditions. They tend to hold particular resonance with the time of year in which they fall, and have gained ground in American folklore in recent years.

It’s thought these names are "Colonial American", and were adopted from the Algonquian languages of the native peoples who lived in the area of the country which is now New England.

But January’s “Wolf Moon” is thought to have been named by both Europeans and Native Americans because of the lupine howling which haunted the midwinter across the northern hemisphere.

Will it look any different?

The moon will not appear any different to how it normally does when it’s in its full phase.

The name ‘Wolf’ simply derives from the time of year, and has no bearing on what the lunar body will actually look like in our sky.

When is the January full moon?

The January full moon will be in the skies above the UK on the evening of Thursday 28 January.

It will rise just after 4pm for most of the evening, and will technically be at its fullest just over three hours later, around 7.15pm.

It won’t set again until 8am the next morning, so you’ll have plenty of time to observe it over the course of the night.

How do I see it?

As usual, the full moon will be perfectly visible to the naked eye, and all you need to see it is clear night skies, something that can be hard to come by in the January skies of the UK.

At the time of writing, the Met Office is predicting “drier than normal” conditions in the north of the UK around this time, with “an increased chance of unsettled conditions, with above average precipitation” further south, though “confidence for this period is low” so far out.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister title, the Scotsman