Wolf moon 2018: Spectacular photos show first supermoon of the year is 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual

Skywatchers were in for a treat when the first day of 2018 treated them with the "biggest and brightest" supermoon of the year. The first supermoon of 2018 dubbed as Wolf Moon illuminated the skies across the world.

Spectacular photos of the supermoon captured from around the world show the wolf moon 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than usual. The supermoon occurs when the moon is closest to Earth and it reaches its perigee.

"The supermoons are a great opportunity for people to start looking at the Moon, not just that once but every chance they have!" Noah Petro, a research scientist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said.

On Monday night, the moon reached an extreme perigee distance of 221,559 miles (356,565 kilometres) from Earth, much closer to the planet than its usual 238,900 miles (384,472 kilometres), according to Space.com.

While in some countries the supermoon was visible on January 1 in some countries the wolf moon will light up the sky on January 2.

Another full moon will illuminate the sky this month. So if you have missed the New Year's Day supermoon then you can catch the glimpse of the next full moon on January 31. The January 31 supermoon will be accompanied by total lunar eclipse.

"The lunar eclipse on January 31 will be visible during moonset. Folks in the Eastern United States, where the eclipse will be partial, will have to get up in the morning to see it," Petro said. "But it's another great chance to watch the Moon."

Why is it called Wolf Moon?

The supermoon is also known as full wolf moon in the Northern Hemisphere. In Native Americans and early Colonial times, the first supermoon of the year was called wolf moon because the wolves howled in hunger outside the villages.