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The skygazers are about to end this year with the unique Cold Moon. The longest and final full moon of the year, known as the Cold Moon, will light up the sky on Christmas Eve.
On December 25, the moon, also called the Long Night Moon, will be visible to the plain eyes. People can witness this celestial event from Christmas Eve to December 26 at 7:33 EST.
It has many names. According to the Almanack, a full moon in December is called Mohawk. As per the same sources:
"A Mohawk name that conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year when cold weather truly begins to grip us."
Its alternative name, the Long Night Moon, is a Mohican phrase for the moon rising on the "longest" nights of the year.
The Cold Moon can be seen through naked eyes
The full moon in December will fall on Christmas Eve and coincide with a Long Night Moon. According to NASA, the moon will be at its brightest on Tuesday around 7:33 p.m. ET. Up until Thursday morning, it will appear to be a full moon and light up the winter sky.
According to Old Farmer's Almanack:
“December's full moon could appear wholly round to the naked eye as early as Sunday”.
The moon will also be visible the day before and after, rising at sunset on three separate evenings from December 25 to December 27.
Addressing the same, NASA stated:
“The cold moon gets its name because December is the month when it really starts to get cold, although our coldest average temperatures are in January”.
This full moon will be visible in the night sky for 15 hours, much longer than the usual 12 hours, according to Chris Sirola, an astronomer at the University of Southern Mississippi.
For the finest view of December's full moon, people need to look at the east sky with their telescope. If they want to get a close-up look at the Cold Moon, they can pick a spot to see the horizon unobstructed. When the Cold Moon rises in the east, it can be seen from anyone with a clear view of the sky. It is going to be in the Gemini constellation.
The Cold Moon is the first full moon after December 22, the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. This month, in addition to opposing the sun in the sky, it will also reflect the sun's trajectory. Thus, the moon is at its highest point right now in the daytime sky of the Northern Hemisphere, while the sun is at its lowest point.
The full moon in December is sometimes called the "long night moon" because it rises close to the Winter Solstice, also known as the "longest night of the year". When the darkness is at its deepest and longest, it enables the moon to burn longer and brighter.
It has previously coincided with Christmas. Christmastime full moon peaks were last observed in 2015. There hadn't been one since 1977 before that. Astronomers predict the next full moon around Christmas will be in 2034.
The full wolf moon on January 25, 2024, at 12:54 p.m. EST, will be the next full moon and the first of 2024.
