December’s full moon will appear in the sky this week. It’s the final full moon and third supermoon of the year, also known as the ‘Cold Moon.’ The Cold Moon gets its name from being closest to the winter solstice. It is also known as the ‘Moon Before Yule’ and the ‘Long Night Moon.’
It reached its peak illumination at 6:14 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 4, but it will be visible and appear full to the naked eye during the next couple nights.
I captured the #Supermoon. December’s #FullMoon is also known as the #ColdMoon.
I used my Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope and my Canon Rebel T8i camera. #astrophotography #moon #moonphotography #astronomy pic.twitter.com/Bd7wtJQQjY
— 🚀Anthony Leone🌕 (@AnthonyLeone) December 5, 2025
The Cold Moon will notably be the highest full moon of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun will be at its lowest point in the sky, which means that the moon will be at the opposite. That means that you will be able to see the bright Cold Moon for a longer period in the night sky.
What is a supermoon?
A supermoon is when the full moon happens at the same time the moon’s orbit is at its closest to Earth. The moon will appear brighter and larger than normal. This year’s Cold Moon will be the third supermoon of 2025, joining October’s ‘Harvest Moon’ and November’s ‘Beaver Moon’.
Moon phases
There are eight different phases of the moon. What phase follows a full moon?
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Meteorologist Reid Lybarger
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