Let's face it, life in lockdown Heswall and district is a bit quiet right now, so a werewolf on the loose would liven things up.

We could load our guns with silver bullets, set torches ablaze, and then, as townsfolk in old horror movies almost always do, gather together and cry, "The creature must be destroyed!"

We would have to socially distance, of course, but I reckon going to, say, Heswall Dales or the Puddydale to see off a supernatural menace can be described as essential travel. (Note: parking is free at the Puddydale - at least until Monday.)

Clearly, however, it's unlikely a lycanthrope (the fancy word for werewolf) will make an appearance, but tonight we can make do with the next best thing, and do a little howling in the garden if the fancy takes us.

Nightfall will bring us a full moon known as a Wolf Moon. It's believed the phenomenon was so named centuries ago by native American tribes who noticed its appearance coincided with packs of hungry wolves howling just beyond their camps in the deep winter snow. Some scholars believe the term originated in the language of the Algonquin people who lived in what is now Eastern Canada, where it was adopted by colonialists and stuck to this day.

Full moons happen when the moon is exactly on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, so the entire Earth-facing side is illuminated. As it happens, the rotation period of the moon is the same as its orbital period, so we always see the same side of our satellite. We often refer to a "dark side" of the moon, but in fact it receives the same amount of light as the one we are able to see.

When winter stargazing it's always a good idea to wrap up warm and spend a few minutes letting your vision accustom to the low light.

If by any chance the skies are clear and you manage to photograph the Wolf Moon, please share the images over on the Heswall Nub News Facebook page.