The cold moon of December, the last full moon of 2024, to light up the night sky

After four consecutive “supermoons” lighting up the night sky, the next full moon in December 2024 will not be very large or very bright.

Yet the so-called “cold moon” – a nickname linked to the frigid air that blows as winter approaches – will shine in the sky next weekend, officially becoming full early Sunday morning, December 15.

The December moon will be 99% lit Saturday night, 100% lit Sunday night, and 98% lit Monday night.

The timing of the moon’s brightness will interfere with the view of the annual Geminid meteor shower, which is expected to peak Friday night into Saturday morning. However, experts at Space.com say astronomers should still try to catch a glimpse of the shooting stars this weekend.

“Even though the moonlight will blot out the faintest meteors, it will still be possible to see some of the larger, brighter meteors,” notes Space.com, “so it’s definitely worth a look if you have clear skies.”

When to see the December full moon

The moon will reach its maximum size and brightness Sunday at 4:01 a.m. Eastern Time.

In the New York area and northern New Jersey, the moon will begin to rise in the northeast sky at 3:33 p.m. Saturday, set in the northwest sky at 7:50 a.m. Sunday, and rise at 4:32 p.m. Sunday. , set for 8:50 a.m. Monday and rises around 5:40 p.m. Monday, according to TimeAndDate.com.

Saturday at midnight, the Moon will be “very high, not far from the zenith”, specifies Sky & Telescope magazine.

“The Christmas season full moon is higher in the sky at midnight than at any other time of the year,” the magazine notes.

This happens because “December is the month of the (winter) solstice, when the sun is furthest south in the sky. So this is when the full moon (opposite the sun) is furthest north. As it streaks across the night sky, the December full moon is a pale, cold imitation of the warm June sun streaking across the daytime sky six months ago.

December Moon Nicknames

Most lunar nicknames are based on weather conditions, crop cycles, hunting routines, and other seasonal factors. And this is the case with the December full moon.

The popular nickname “cold moon” comes from Native American tribes, in this case the Mohawks, who gave each full moon a name throughout the year to help track the seasons. The cold nickname of December refers to the drop in temperatures that begin to set in at the start of the winter season.

Although cold moon is the most common nickname, there are a few others, according to the Farmers’ Almanac and its competitor, the Old Farmer’s Almanac. It is sometimes called the “full moon at night” or the “moon before Christmas.”

Christmas refers to the pagan celebration of the winter solstice, the time when winter officially begins. (This happens this year on Saturday, December 21 in the northern hemisphere.)

As for the nickname “long night,” the Farmers’ Almanac notes that it is “because the winter night is indeed long and because the moon remains long above the horizon.” The midwinter full moon has a high trajectory in the sky because it is opposite a low sun.

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Len Melisurgo can be reached at [email protected] or the @LensReality.