STELLAR!
Exact time to catch full Wolf Moon shine alongside Mars tonight in stunning sky spectacle
The Moon will temporarily hide the Red Planet from view - but only for about an hour
THE first full moon of the year, known as the Wolf Moon, will be visible alongside Mars tonight.
Stargazers are encouraged to brave the cold once night falls on 13 January to catch the display.
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If it's a clear night, a red 'star' will be visible just below and to the left of the Moon - this is the planet Mars.
The Red Planet will be at its biggest and brightest in the past two years.
It will glow at a magnitude of -1.3, just slightly dimmer than the brightest star in the sky - Sirius.
Mars and the Moon will move closer together in the sky throughout the night.
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The Moon will temporarily hide the Red Planet from view - but only for about an hour.
The best time to go outside will be around 7:30pm UTC.
In-the-sky.org has a helpful on its website to help you plan your viewing.
The Wolf Moon will reach peak illumination at roughly 10:25pm GMT (5:25pm EST).
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At this time, the glare of moonshine might obscure the view of Mars.
The lunar disk is expected to take on a muted orange colour - though it will not be one of Earth's famed Blood Moons.
The rolling sand dunes of Mars captured by NASA's Curiosity Rover
Stargazers will still be able to observe the pair in the early evening on 14 January, when the Red Planet will be above and to the right of the Moon.
Like other full moons, the Wolf Moon gets its name from folklore.
As the story goes, the Wold Moon earned its name because wolves don't hibernate in the winter, and are very active in January.
It's thought the sound of wolves howling was particularly prominent during this time when most other animals slept.
January is also a good time to view Mars, because the evenings are still long and dark.
But this month in 2025 will be especially good, as Mars enters 'opposition' on 16 January.
What this means is that Mars' orbit will bring it directly opposite the Sun - making it shine even brighter than usual.
All you need to know about planets in our solar system
Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all...
- How old is Earth? Plus other facts on our planet
- How many moons does Mercury have?
- What colour is Venus?
- How far away is Mars to Earth? And other facts on the red planet
- How big is Jupiter?
- How many moons does Saturn have?
- Does Uranus have rings?
- How many moons does Neptune have?
- How big is Pluto?
- How hot is the Sun?
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