Tag: #BeWarm

Full Moon – Friday 6th January 2023

2023’s first Full Moon is at 23.56hrs on Friday, 6th January.

It’s thought that January’s full Moon came to be known as the Wolf Moon because wolves were more often heard howling at this time. It was traditionally believed that wolves howled due to hunger during winter, but we know today that wolves howl for other reasons.

The Gaelic word for January, Faoilleach, comes from the term for wolves, faol-chù, even though wolves haven’t existed in Scotland for centuries. The Saxon word for January is Wulf-monath, or Wolf Month. Meanwhile, the festival of the Japanese wolf god, Ooguchi Magami, is also held in January. The Seneca tribe links the wolf so strongly to the moon, they believe that a wolf gave birth to the moon by singing it into the sky! So just why are wolves so strongly associated with January’s full moon?

The most obvious answer is because wolves are much louder and more noticeable in January, which is when breeding season begins. Wolves begin to howl more frequently and aggressively to establish their territory, threatening neighbours and enemies alike to stay far away from their breeding grounds. A small pack of wolves may even try to make themselves seem like a larger pack by howling together. While a lone wolf can sustain a howl for the duration of a single breath, an entire pack may howl in unison for longer than two minutes during breeding season. Howling and other wolf vocalizations are generally used to define territory, locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, and coordinate hunting.

Wolves are so well-known for their tight-knit communities that the Sioux tribe called January’s Full Moon the Moon Where Wolves Run Together. The wolf is often seen as a symbol of loyalty and protection in many cultures. The Wolf Moon is the perfect time for you to reach out to loved ones and reaffirm your connections, in preparation for deepening your bonds and taking on new challenges together over the upcoming year. We’ve most certainly got those ahead.

Stay safe with your pack!


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Take Part In Star Count 2022

The New Moon is on Wednesday, 2nd March which means the skies are dark and, when clear, the stars and constellations are much easier to see.

The best way to see how many stars we can all see in the sky is… to count them! We are very fortunate where we live when it comes to light polloution. The Countryside Charity are asking people from all across the country to become ‘citizen scientists’ and look heavenwards for one night. Join in by choosing a clear night from tonight, 26th February to 6th March 2022 and become a stargazer. It’s happening now – don’t miss out!

With brilliant support from the British Astronomical Association, they want you to look up at the constellation Orion and let them know how many stars you can count. Don’t worry: they’re giving you plenty of support on how to do this – click HERE. Once you’ve done your star-spotting, use their simple online form (click HERE) to quickly and easily send them your count – and then they get busy with the number-crunching.

Your results from Star Count will help them make a map of where star-spotters are enjoying deep, dark skies. By showing on a map where light pollution is most serious, they can then work with local councils and others to decide what to do about it.

Better still, Star Count is also a great way to switch off from the distractions of daily life and reconnect with nature. Look up at the cosmos and… breathe 🙂

Sign Up & Submit Your Star Count HERE.

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Full Moon – Monday, 17th January 2022

2022’s first Full Moon is at 23.49hrs on Monday, 17th January.

Known as the Wolf Moon – more fokelore can be found HERE in 2021’s post.

OrionThe Moon will then begin to wane with the night skies becoming darker until the New Moon on February 1st.

These clear winter skies give you the opportunity to observe the stars and the constellation of Orion (The Hunter) is bright, even by the Full Moon, so wrap up warm for an evening stroll and enjoy the sky 🙂

Stay safe with your pack!

Scroll#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#Village,#SaveTheWhiteLion,#FullMoon,#Farmers,#WolfMoon,#LookUp,#SocialDistancng,#SnowdropsAreUp,#BeWarm,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Lyrids Shooting Stars Peak Tonight

Tonight until dawn, the Lyrids reach their peak. The Lyrids can produce up to 18 meteors per hour at the peak, with occasional fireballs, producing up to 100 shooting stars an hour.

Make sure you are warm. Find a place with no or minimal light pollution, get comfortable and allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Be prepared to wait. Look to the North East. Also high in the Eastern sky until dawn – by where the meteors are coming from – is the bright star Vega, the brightest star in the constellation of Lyra.

The annual meteor shower is derived from particles dropped by comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher) and will continue until the end of the month. The meteors come from comets’ debris exploding once it enter Earth’s atmosphere. Their disintegration causes the bright, fiery streaks across our sky.

The waxing gibbous moon will certainly not make it easy this year but as the moon sets at 5am – there will be just 45 minutes of darkness before dawn.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#WestDorset,#Lyrids,#MeteorShower,#LookUp,#StarryStarrynight,#BeWarm,#BeSafe,#StaySafe