Don't miss the year's final supermoon! Here's what you need to know about December's full moon, also known as the Cold Moon.
The Cold Moon will be at its brightest around 6:14 p. m. ET on Thursday, according to EarthSky. This full moon is the last of three supermoons this year. A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches perigee, its closest point to Earth, making it appear larger and fuller.
The term 'Cold Moon' signifies its proximity to the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This year's solstice falls on December 21, marking the start of winter.
Indigenous tribes have their own names for December's full moon. For instance, the Cherokee call it the Snow Moon, while the Abenaki refer to it as the Winter Maker Moon.
Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA's Artemis III mission, highlights the moon's visibility during winter. He explains that the trees aren't blocking the moon's light, making it even brighter in the cold.
December's full moon holds historical significance, as it coincides with the anniversaries of the Apollo 8 and Apollo 17 missions. Apollo 8 launched on December 21, 1968, and Apollo 17 on December 7, 1972. These missions were groundbreaking, with Apollo 8 sending astronauts into lunar orbit and Apollo 17 marking the last lunar landing.
Additionally, December's full moon precedes the Artemis II mission, scheduled for February to April 2026. This mission will send a crew of four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon.
Petro encourages everyone to observe the moon this week, reflecting on the Apollo missions and the upcoming Artemis II. He suggests, 'Go out, admire the moon, and remember the achievements of 1968 and 1972. Then, look forward to the future, where we might be just two full moons away from sending humans back to the moon.'
For those interested in meteor showers, the Geminids peak on December 13-14, and the Ursids on December 21-22, according to the American Meteor Society and EarthSky.
