Many of us are looking forward to 2021, and with good reason, given that the pandemic hampered many aspects of our lives over last year. And while challenges will still come our way this year, we can rest assured that there are good things ahead. One thing we can all look forward to is the first full moon of the year, set to occur on January 29 at 03:16 am Hong Kong time.

Since the full moon will be happening at night for us in Hong Kong, those living near stargazing spots such as Tai Au Mun and Tai Mei Tuk will get the best visibility. If you have binoculars, or better yet, a telescope, then you will be able to enjoy this natural phenomenon in its full glory. While the moon is technically only full at one exact moment, for the observer, it'll still appear full for at least a day or two before and after the day of the actual full moon.

The first full moon is also known as the Wolf Moon as The Old Farmer's Almanac assigns nicknames to the full moons based on their Native American names. Images of wolves howling during a full moon are prevalent towards any work of fiction and this is actually why it's all the full moon as people often hear wolves howling at night during the winter. But it's a common misconception that wolves howl at the moon, instead, they howl to communication either to mark their territory or to call their pack. But the nicknames of the moon also vary within cultures with names such as Center Moon, Cold Moon and so on.

In case you happen to miss this full month, don't fret, many are still coming. The next one, called the Snow Moon, will take place in a months' time on February 27. Given the 29.5 days cycle of every full month, it means that there'll typically be at least one full moon per calendar month or if we're lucky, two rare full moons, known as a Blue Moon. For the full schedule of the moon phase in Hong Kong, you can visit Hong Kong Observatory's official website.

See also: Astronomy 2021: Full Moons, Eclipses And Meteor Showers In Hong Kong