December’s full Moon rises on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. The Old Farmer’s Almanac will reveal everything you need to know about the Cold Moon and what makes it special.
When to See December’s Full Moon
December’s Cold Moon reaches peak illumination on Tuesday, December 29, 2020, at 10:30 P.M. EST.
Start looking for the full Moon just before sunset as it begins to peek above the horizon. To find the exact time that it will appear in your area, consult our Moonrise Calculator.
What makes this full Moon special? It’s most distinctive for its high trajectory across the sky, which results in the full Moon sitting above the horizon for a longer period of time.
Why Is It Called the Cold Moon?
The Moon names we use in The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from Native American, Colonial American, or other traditional sources passed down through generations. A variety of Native American societies traditionally used the monthly Moons and nature’s corresponding signs as a calendar to track the seasons.
Today, December’s full Moon is most commonly known as the Cold Moon—a Mohawk name that conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year, when cold weather truly begins to grip us.
Other names that allude to the cold and snow include Drift Clearing Moon (Cree), Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree), Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee), and Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki).
This full Moon has also been called the Long Night Moon (Mohican), as it rose during the “longest” nights of the year, which are near the December winter solstice. This name is also fitting because December’s full Moon shines above the horizon for a longer period of time than most full Moons.
However, the Moon can appear to be full a day before or after while more than 98% of the Moon's disc is illuminated.
Therefore, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a Full Moon and the last stage of a Waxing Gibbous Moon or the beginning of a Waning Gibbous Moon.
When is the Full Moon?
Earth in the Middle
Illustration of the Moon's position in space in relation to Earth and the Sun at Full Moon
The Moon's position in space at Full Moon.
The technical term for the Full Moon alignment is syzygy of the Sun-Earth-Moon-system.
When the side of the Moon we can see from Earth is fully lit up at Full Moon, the opposite side is in darkness, and vice versa at New Moon.
The Full Moon is visible in the sky approximately from sunset to sunrise. At the precise moment of the Full Moon alignment, the Moon is only visible in the night part of Earth, with a few exceptions.
A Primary Moon Phase
Full Moon is the third of the four primary Moon phases which occur at specific moments in time. The other three are New Moon, First Quarter Moon, and Third Quarter Moon.
In addition, there are four intermediate phases which take up the time in between the primary phases. These are called Waxing Crescent Moon, Waxing Gibbous Moon, Waning Gibbous Moon, and Wa
When to See December’s Full Moon
December’s Cold Moon reaches peak illumination on Tuesday, December 29, 2020, at 10:30 P.M. EST.
Start looking for the full Moon just before sunset as it begins to peek above the horizon. To find the exact time that it will appear in your area, consult our Moonrise Calculator.
What makes this full Moon special? It’s most distinctive for its high trajectory across the sky, which results in the full Moon sitting above the horizon for a longer period of time.
Why Is It Called the Cold Moon?
The Moon names we use in The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from Native American, Colonial American, or other traditional sources passed down through generations. A variety of Native American societies traditionally used the monthly Moons and nature’s corresponding signs as a calendar to track the seasons.
Today, December’s full Moon is most commonly known as the Cold Moon—a Mohawk name that conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year, when cold weather truly begins to grip us.
Other names that allude to the cold and snow include Drift Clearing Moon (Cree), Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree), Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee), and Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki).
This full Moon has also been called the Long Night Moon (Mohican), as it rose during the “longest” nights of the year, which are near the December winter solstice. This name is also fitting because December’s full Moon shines above the horizon for a longer period of time than most full Moons.
However, the Moon can appear to be full a day before or after while more than 98% of the Moon's disc is illuminated.
Therefore, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a Full Moon and the last stage of a Waxing Gibbous Moon or the beginning of a Waning Gibbous Moon.
When is the Full Moon?
Earth in the Middle
Illustration of the Moon's position in space in relation to Earth and the Sun at Full Moon
The Moon's position in space at Full Moon.
The technical term for the Full Moon alignment is syzygy of the Sun-Earth-Moon-system.
When the side of the Moon we can see from Earth is fully lit up at Full Moon, the opposite side is in darkness, and vice versa at New Moon.
The Full Moon is visible in the sky approximately from sunset to sunrise. At the precise moment of the Full Moon alignment, the Moon is only visible in the night part of Earth, with a few exceptions.
A Primary Moon Phase
Full Moon is the third of the four primary Moon phases which occur at specific moments in time. The other three are New Moon, First Quarter Moon, and Third Quarter Moon.
In addition, there are four intermediate phases which take up the time in between the primary phases. These are called Waxing Crescent Moon, Waxing Gibbous Moon, Waning Gibbous Moon, and Wa
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