The final full moon of 2021 is set to rise tonight, nicknamed the Cold Moon it is also one of the longest-lasting of the year.

For those in the UK and Ireland, tonight’s full moon will begin to rise from 03:00 pm but will be best viewed at its peak in the early hours at 04:35 am.

As with all full moons, this one was given its name by Native American tribes. As its appearance coincided with the onset of bitter, winter conditions the Cold Moon name was adopted.

Alternatively, it has also been dubbed the Long Night Moon with tonight’s full moon one of the longest-lasting each year thanks to its timing just prior to the winter solstice.

Unfortunately, we will see significant cloud cover tonight but there will be breaks in the clouds at times, particularly over Scotland and northern England.

To stay informed on the moon and sun at all times be sure to check out our new astronomy information feature, now available on our website and soon to land on the Weather & Radar app.