December’s cold moon, final full moon of 2024, to brighten the night sky

After four consecutive “supermoons” lighting up the night sky, the upcoming full moon of December 2024 won’t be extra big or extra bright.

Still, the so-called “cold moon” — a nickname tied to the frigid air that sweeps in as winter approaches — will be shining in the sky this upcoming weekend, officially turning full early Sunday morning, Dec. 15.

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

The timing of the moon’s brightness will interfere with the view of the annual Geminid meteor shower, which is set to reach its peak in activity Friday night into early Saturday morning. However, experts from Space.com say stargazers should still try to catch a glimpse of the shooting stars this weekend.

“While the moonlight will wash out the fainter meteors, it’ll still be possible to see some of the bigger and brighter meteors,” Space.com notes, “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 at 4:01 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday.

In the New York City region and northern New Jersey, the moon will begin to rise in the northeastern sky at 3:33 p.m. on Saturday, set in the northwestern sky at 7:50 a.m. on Sunday, rise at 4:32 p.m. on Sunday, set at 8:50 a.m. on Monday and rise at about 5:40 p.m. on Monday, according to TimeAndDate.com.

By midnight on Saturday, the moon will be “very high, not far from the zenith,” says Sky & Telescope magazine.

“The full moon of the Christmas season rides higher across the sky at midnight than at any other time of year,” the magazine noted.

This happens because “December is the month of the (winter) solstice, when the sun is farthest south in the sky. So, this is when the full moon (opposite the sun) is farthest north. As it makes its way across the night sky, the December full moon is a pale, cold imitation of the hot June sun crossing the daytime sky half a year ago.”

December moon nicknames

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

The popular nickname “cold moon” originated from native American tribes, in this case the Mohawks, which gave a name to each full moon throughout the year to help track the seasons. The cold in the December nickname refers to the dropping temperatures that start taking hold as the winter season starts.

While the 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’s sometimes referred to as the “full long night’s moon” or the “moon before yule.”

The yule refers to the Pagan celebration of the winter solstice — the moment winter officially starts. (That happens this year on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the northern hemisphere.)

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