Prepare for an eerie spectacle amongst our skies tonight as the "Full Beaver Moon" comes out to play.

The moon will turn blood red before heading into the shadow of the Earth. This full moon is called the Beaver Moon as it happens at the time of year when beavers settle into their lodges after storing up food for the winter months.

The Beaver Moon is the penultimate full moon of 2023 and will be visible after sunset at 16:00 GMT today.

Although the peak of the Full Moon was technically this morning, our lunar satellite will still appear full when it rises tonight.

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The best time to see this dazzling display will be just after the Moon rises, while it is still close to the horizon and appears larger than normal. 

With cloud cover forecast over much of the UK, dress up warm and keep an eye out for a gap in the clouds to get the best view.  

How can you see the Beaver Moon?

Dr Darren Baskill of the University of Sussex told the Daily Mail the best time to see the Beaver Moon was in the very early hours of this morning.

However, Dr Baskill says not to worry if you can't drag yourself out of bed on a very cold morning.

"You have a second opportunity to admire the full Moon hugging the horizon when it rises in the north-east as the Sun sets later that same day," Dr Baskill told BBC Science Focus.

As the Moon rises above the horizon it may appear larger than normal, but this is actually just an optical illusion.

The 'Moon Illusion' causes the moon to appear to us as much larger when it is low on the horizon despite remaining exactly the same size throughout the entire night. 

However, even if it might not be larger in reality, Dr Baskill says the Beaver Moon is "an impressive sight when it's low on the horizon."