Bolton photographers capture the Wolf Moon above the town

The supermoon, which occurs when a full moon is near its closest point to the Earth in its orbit – meaning it appears up to 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter compared to when it is furthest away, rose yesterday and will be visible until January 4.

Wolf Moon above Rivington (Image: Joe Jackson)

Skygazers have been advised to “wrap up warm” to view celestial wonder, the first supermoon of the year.

Visibility is set to be good for those wishing to admire January’s full moon.

Wolf Moon rises (Image: Gary Severn)

According to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the name was inspired by the howling of hungry wolves as they prowled for food during midwinter months.

(Image: Susan Elizabeth Hough)

Jess Lee, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said: “Every full moon throughout the year has its own unique nickname.

“The January full moon is often called the Wolf Moon, a name inspired by wolves that were thought to roam during the long winter nights.”

Haunting Wolf Moon (Image: Ian Bleakley)

She added: “You don’t need any special equipment or to escape light pollution to enjoy the view, it’s a beautiful sight in cities and rural areas alike.”

Images captured from across the country show the moon setting behind Stonehenge in Wiltshire, south-west England, on Saturday morning and of course at Rivington.

Others capture it looming above Glasgow, Scotland, and the Thames Estuary in Minster, Kent, south-east England.

The Wolf Moon was at its fullest at around 10am on Saturday, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich said.

Send your pictures to newsdesk@theboltonnews.co.uk and we will put together a gallery of your photographs.