The latest celestial event taking place in the UK will be the appearance of the Cold Moon or December full moon this week.

It gets its name from the cold temperatures at the time of year when it rises.

The Science Focus website says it is also called the Long Night Moon or the Moon Before Yule, while some pagan traditions call it the Oak Moon, due to the tree's ability to cling on to its leaves during the cold, winter months.

Stargazing events you can see in 2022

There are usually 12 full moons a year, occurring every 29.5 days—the length of time it takes for the moon to orbit the Earth and complete one lunar phase cycle.

When to watch the Cold Moon in the UK?

According to the Science Focus website, the Cold Moon will be visible in the morning on Thursday, December 8.

It will reach peak illumination at 4:02am GMT, so the best time to view it will be then and up until around 7am "as it lingers low on the horizon in a pre-dawn sky".

READ MORE: Celestial events taking place in the UK in 2022

Officially the Cold Moon will rise at 3:08pm on Wednesday, December 7 and set the following morning at 8:29am.

Due to recent weather, the visibility during the Cold Moon's peak illumination may be a bit mixed depending on where you are in the UK.

The next full moon to come will be the Wolf Moon on January 6, 2023 followed by the Snow Moon on February 5, 2023.