What time is the supermoon tonight in the UK and why is it called a harvest moon?

Stargazers will be able to see the full moon in all its glory tonight - and it's going to be particularly special.

Tonight's full moon, known as the harvest moon, will be a supermoon, appearing brighter and larger in the sky. On top of that, there's also a partial lunar eclipse taking place.

The full moon will peak in the early hours of the morning so anyone wanting to catch the best view of the moon may find themselves having to pull an all-nighter. But luckily, forecasters have predicted excellent viewing conditions with clear skies expected across much of the UK.

READ MORE: Will the Northern Lights be visible in the UK again tonight?

The Met Office said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: September's full moon, also known as the #HarvestMoon occurs on the 18th. It also happens to be a #SuperMoon. With mostly clear skies, viewing conditions will be great."

Here's everything you need to know, including exactly what time to see it and how the harvest moon, or the corn moon, got its name.

According to Royal Museums Greenwich, the next full moon will appear in the early hours of September 18, peaking at 3.34am in the UK.

Supermoons are larger than a full moon. A supermoon occurs when the moon is closer to the Earth, and therefore it appears to be larger and brighter in the sky.

During a supermoon, the moon appears up to 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter compared with when it is furthest away.

Tonight's supermoon is the second out of four consecutive supers. The last one appeared in August, and supermoons are also expected in October and November in 2024.

Full moons are often given nicknames in the lunar calendar. Many come from Native American culture, which uses the moon as an important method of