The next full Moon will be Sunday morning, Dec. 15, 2024, passing opposite the Sun at 4:02 a.m. EST. This will be Saturday evening from Alaska Time westwards to the International Date Line. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Friday evening through Monday morning, making this a full Moon weekend.

The Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing Native American names for full Moons in the 1930s. Over time these names have become widely known and used. According to this almanac, as the full Moon in December this is the Cold Moon, due to the long, cold nights. Other names are the Frost Moon (for the frosts as winter nears) or the Winter Moon.

As the full Moon before the winter solstice, old European names for this Moon include the Moon before Yule and the Oak Moon. Yule was a three-day winter solstice festival in pre-Christian Europe. In the 10th century King Haakon I associated Yule with Christmas as part of the Christianization of Norway, and this association spread throughout Europe. Some believe that the Oak Moon name ties back to ancient druid traditions of harvesting mistletoe from oak trees, a practice first recorded by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder in the first century CE. The term "druid" may derive from the Proto-Indo-European roots for "oak" and "to see," suggesting "druid" means "oak knower" or "oak seer."

As the full Moon closest to the winter solstice, this will be the Long Night Moon. The plane of the Moon's orbit around Earth nearly matches the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun. When the path of the Sun appears lowest in the sky for the year, the path of the full Moon opposite the Sun appears near its highest. For the Washington, D.C. area, on Saturday evening into Sunday morning, December 14 to 15, the Moon will be in the sky for a total of 16 hours 1 minute and will reach a maximum altitude of 79.0 degrees (at 11:52 p.m. EST), with 14 hours 33 minutes of this when the Sun is down. The next night, Sunday evening into Monday morning, December 15 to 16, the full Moon will be in the sky slightly longer and will reach higher in the sky, but slightly less of this time will be when the Sun is down. The Moon will be in the sky for a total of 16 hours 3 minutes and will reach a maximum altitude of 79.2 degrees (at 1:54 a.m.), with 14 hours 29 minutes of this when the Sun is down.

For Hindus, this full Moon corresponds with Datta Jayanti, also known as Dattatreya Jayanti, a festival commemorating the birth day of the Hindu god Dattatreya (Datta), celebrated on the full Moon day of the month of Margashira.

Karthika Deepam is a festival observed by Hindus of Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, and Kerala when the nearly full Moon lines up with the Pleiades constellation (Krittikai or Karttikai). This year it will be on Friday, December 13. Some areas celebrate multi-day festivals that include this full Moon.

For the Buddhists of Sri Lanka, this is Unduvap Poya. In the third century BCE, Sangamitta Theri, the daughter of Emperor Ashoka and founder of an order of Buddhist nuns in Sri Lanka, is believed to have brought a sapling of the sacred Bodhi Tree, or Bo Tree, to Sri Lanka. The sapling was planted in 288 BCE by King Devanampiya Tissa in the Mahamevnāwa Park in Anuradhapura where it still grows today, where it is believed by some to be the oldest living human-planted tree with a known planting date. For the Northern Hemisphere, as autumn ends and winter begins, the daily periods of sunlight reach their shortest at the winter solstice and then begin to lengthen again. Our 24-hour clock is based on the average length of the solar day. The winter solstice has the longest night of the year. The winter solstice is sometimes called the "shortest day of the year" (because it has the shortest period of sunlight), but the solar days near the solstice are actually the longest. Because of this, the earliest sunset of the year occurs before the solstice (on December 6 and 7 for the Washington, D.C. area) and the latest sunrise of the year (ignoring Daylight Savings Time) occurs after the solstice on Jan. 4, 2025.

On Sunday, December 15, (the day of the full Moon), morning twilight will begin at 6:16 a.m. EST, sunrise will be at 7:20 a.m., solar noon will be at 12:04 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 27.8 degrees, sunset will be at 4:47 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 5:51 p.m.

Saturday, December 21, will be the day of the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice, the astronomical end of fall and start of winter. The winter solstice is the day when the Sun at solar noon is lowest in the sky and the time from sunrise to sunset is shortest for the year. At NASA Headquarters, the time from sunrise to sunset will be 9 hours, 26 minutes, 13 seconds. Solar noon will be at 12:07 p.m. EST when the Sun will reach its lowest daily high, 27.7 degrees. The longest solar day (measured from noon to noon on a sundial) will be from solar noon on December 21 to solar noon on December 22, 29.8 seconds longer than 24 hours.

By Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 (the day of the full Moon after next), morning twilight will begin at 6:24 a.m. EST, sunrise will be at 7:26 a.m., solar noon will be at 12:17 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 29.8 degrees, sunset will be at 5:08 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 6:11 p.m.

December Full Moon Names From Native American Tribes Kaitvitjuitk (Inuit). Cold Moon (Celtic). Night Moon (Taos). Respect Moon (Hopi). Bitter Moon (Chinese). Peach Moon (Choctaw). Twelfth Moon (Dakotah). Big Winter Moon (Creek) Real Goose Moon (Kiowa). Cold Time Moon (Mohawk). Ashes Fire Moon (San Juan). Oak Moon (Medieval English). Big Bear’s Moon (Winnebago). Long Night Moon (Neo-Pagan). Popping Trees Moon (Arapaho). Running Wolves Moon (Cheyenne). Frost Fish Moon (Passamaquoddy). Cold Moon, Long Nights Moon (Algonquin). Snow Moon, Before Yule Moon (Cherokee). Oak Moon : Full, : Snow Moon Dark (Janic). Popping Tress Moon, Deer Horn Shedding Moon (Sioux).

Other moon names : Wolf Moon, Turning Moon, Heavy Snow Moon, Aerra Geola, Under Burn Moon, Big Winter Moon, Winter Maker Moon, Yellow Leaves Moon, Little Finger Moon, Mid-Winter Moon, Wintermonat, Small Spirits Moon.

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This November's full moon is a supermoon, meaning it's closer to Earth in its orbit and appears larger and brighter than usual, according to NASA.

Supermoons are not particularly rare. In fact there are generally three or four each year. This year has already brought three consecutive supermoons - the Blue moon in August, September's Harvest moon and the Hunter's moon in October, which was the brightest of all.

The Beaver Moon reaches peak illumination on Friday, November 15, at 4:29 P.M. EST. Find out exactly what time the full Moon will appear above the horizon in your area with our Moonrise and Moonset Calculator.

This is the final supermoon of four consecutive supermoons of the year! This means that it will appear bigger and brighter than normal!

The beaver moon’s name is believed to be a nod to this full moon’s appearance when the industrious animal retires to its lodge in anticipation of winter. And when the North American fur trade thrived from the 1500s to the 1800s, November was also beaver trapping season due to the animal’s thicker coat this time of year, according to The Old Farmers’ Almanac.

The November full moon has also been referred to by the Tlingit as the digging moon, as it is the time when animals begin to prepare for winter. The Cree have called this lunar event the frost moon, and the Anishinaabe have referred to it as the freezing moon since cold winter temperatures are near, according to the almanac.

Native American Names for November Full Moon Itartoryuk Moon (Inuit). Tree Moon (Neo-Pagan). Poverty Moon (Mohawk). Trading Moon (Cherokee). Geese Going Moon (Kiowa). Falling Leaves moon (Sioux). Fledgling Raptor Moon (Hopi). Deer Ruting Moon (Cheyenne). Freezing River Moon(Arapaho). Snow Moon (Mediaeval English). Mourning Moon : Full, Dead : Dark (Janic). Corn Harvest Moon (Taos Native American). Snowy Morning Mountains Moon (Wishram). All Gathered Moon (San Juan Native American). Beaver Moon, Frosty Moon (Algonquin Native American/Colonia).

Other moon names : Fog Moon, Deer Antler Shedding moon, Oak moon, Mad moon, Storm moon, Dark moon.

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October’s hunter’s moon is set to peak at its fullest around 7:26 a.m. ET Thursday, but the silvery orb will appear round Wednesday evening through Friday morning, according to NASA.

This full moon is considered the third of four consecutive supermoons expected this year, NASA says.

The celestial phenomenon happens a few times during every lunar cycle because the moon’s orbit is elliptical, meaning there are intervals when Earth’s only permanent natural satellite is closer or farther from the planet.

Along the lunar orbital path, the point of closest proximity is known as perigee, which is when the moon is, on average, 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) from Earth. When a full moon phase coincides with perigee, a supermoon event occurs.

What makes a supermoon special

Supermoon is a term that describes the moon when it is closer to Earth than normal.

Typically, the moon orbits an average distance of about 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) from its host planet, but during this month’s supermoon, it will be just 222,095 miles (357,428 kilometers) from Earth, making it the closest full moon of 2024.

During a supermoon event, the orb may appear as much as 8% larger and 16% brighter than an average-size full moon, according to EarthSky.

October’s moon is not actually larger or brighter than any other moon, but it may appear that way because it’s viewed near the horizon shortly after sunset, said Dr. Robin L. Shelton, a professor of physics at the University of Georgia.

Many people associate the hunter’s moon with being orange in color as it rises, but the same could be said of all full moons. The color, Shelton explained, is a result of optical effects involving light passing through Earth’s atmosphere.

Why the full moon is called hunter’s moon

The hunter’s moon is the first full moon after the autumnal equinox, which occurred on September 22 this year. The lunar event marks the changing of the seasons.

The name originated from indigenous people, who benefited from the bright appearance of the moon as hunters prepared for long winters. Hunting also tended to be easier during this time of year because the fields had already been cleared out, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Other names for October’s full moon across various indigenous peoples include the moon of the first frost from the Potawatomi nation, time when the corn is taken in from the Apache tribe or falling leaves moon from the Anishinaabe people.

Traditions around this time include the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon, an annual re-creation of the mid-1700s fall gatherings of French and Native Americans at Fort Ouiatenon, 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) southwest of West Lafayette, Indiana.

The hunter’s moon is expected to be joined by Jupiter, a red giant star called Aldebaran and the star cluster Pleiades, according to EarthSky. Depending on your location, these cosmic wonders may be visible Friday and Saturday night through dawn.

October Full Moon Names from different cultures Tugluvik (Inuit). Kentenha (Mohawk). Long Hair Moon (Hopi) Ten Colds Moon (Kiowa). Falling Leaves Moon (Arapaho). Corn Ripe Moon (Taos Native American). Hunter's Moon, Blood Moon (Neo-Pagan). Leaf Fall Moon (San Juan Native American). Blood Moon, Wine Moon (Mediaeval English). Blood Moon Falling :Full, Leaf Moon :Dark (Janic). Hunter's Moon, Travel Moon, Full Dying Grass Moon (Algonquin Native American/Colonia).

Other Moon names: Spirit Moon, Snow Moon, Shedding Moon, Winterfelleth (Winter Coming), Windermanoth (Vintage Month), Falling Leaf Moon, Moon of the Changing Season, White Frost moon

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A Florida trooper rescued a small dog who was tied to a pole off a major highway in a pool of floodwater as Hurricane Milton begins to overwhelm the state.

An unidentified Florida Highway Patrolman was seen walking through a grassy area on the side of I-75 near Bruce B Downs Boulevard near Tampa to rescue the small white pup.

'It's okay, buddy, it's OK,' the officer could be heard saying as the dog tried to back away. 'It's OK, it's OK!'

As the officer approached the dog and realized it was stuck, it began to growl as the small animal stood in water up to his chest.

Despite multiple attempts to comfort the dog, it just kept growling and wolfing.

'I don't blame you,' the officer said. 'It's OK, buddy, it's OK.'

Source The video does not show the resulting rescue and it is unclear what happened to the dog afterward. It is unknown who the dog belongs to or how it got there. 'Do NOT do this to your pets please…' the organization wrote in an X post.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Florida Highway Patrol for comment.

'They left it to drown OMFG! Pls find who did this!' one X user wrote.

'This is ridiculous. The owner needs to face legal consequences,' another wrote.

'Wow. People can be so heartless. Thank you for saving him,' a third wrote.

Tampa is expected to brave the worst of the Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon until Thursday afternoon with an estimated 10 to 15 inches of rainfall, according to CNN.

The area could see storm surges of eight to 12 feet above ground in flood prone areas, which will peak around 10pm Wednesday.

Do NOT do this to your pets during #HurricaneMilton…. they DON’T deserve this!!@FHPTampa Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning. #Milton #Florida pic.twitter.com/Q6fvDR41Pv

— PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE (@Protect_Wldlife) October 9, 2024

Hurricane #Milton is pictured as a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Yucatan Peninsula from the space station on Oct. 8, 2024. pic.twitter.com/S7Hpe5GFMp

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) October 9, 2024

Update: The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health.

Update: The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health. pic.twitter.com/cut1jv7cBe

— FLHSMV (@FLHSMV) October 9, 2024

All full moons are impressive sights on their own, but this week's Full Harvest Moon will be especially noteworthy. In addition to being a slightly larger-than-average "supermoon," September's full moon will also experience a partial lunar eclipse when it rises on the evening of Sept. 17.

The partial lunar eclipse will be visible from most of North America, all of South America, Europe, all but the easternmost parts of Africa, western portions of Asia and Russia, and parts of Antarctica.

If you are unable to watch the lunar eclipse in person you can watch all the action unfold online here on Space.com. We have rounded up several livestreams that are showing the Super Harvest Moon lunar eclipse on Sept. 17.

"Supermoon" is a non-astronomical term that describes a full moon that occurs when the moon is at or close to perigee, the closest approach to Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit. During these times, the moon can appear a bit larger in the sky, although the difference can be difficult to notice with the naked eye for most observers.

September's Full Harvest Moon is the second of four consecutive supermoons this year, following August's Supermoon Blue Moon.

The name harvest moon is a nod to the season of gathering because the event occurs close to the beginning of fall, or the autumnal equinox, which fell this year on September 23. Typically, this time of year is when many crops peak in the Northern Hemisphere, and the bright moon once helped farmers work into the evening to harvest their bounty ahead of the first frost, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Other monikers for September’s full moon across different indigenous tribes include the corn maker moon from the Abenaki tribe, the moon of the brown leaves from the Lakota people and autumn moon from the Passamaquoddy tribe.

Other harvest-celebrating traditions around this time include the Korean festival of Chuseok and the Japanese Buddhist holiday of Higan, both of which also celebrate the remembrance of ancestors, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

Many people associate the harvest moon with being orange in color as it begins to rise, but the same could be said of all full moons. The hue is due to the thickness of Earth’s atmosphere near the horizon, which is greater than when the full moon is overhead, according to EarthSky.

Several planets are also currently visible in the night sky, according to The Planetary Society. Gold-tinged Saturn and bright Jupiter rise in the east and appear high in the later hours, while Venus (one of the brightest objects visible in the night sky) shines before dawn. Meanwhile, Mercury dances low along the eastern horizon before dawn.

Learn Native American Names: Soaproot (Pomo). Corn Moon (Pueblo). Harvest moon (Hopi). Singing Moon (Celtic). Leaf fall Moon (Kiowa). Ripe Moon (San Juan). Maize Moon (Natchez). Acorns Moon (Wishram). Rice Moon (Anishnaabe). Hay Cutting Moon (Yuchi). Mulberry Moon (Choctaw). Deer Paw Moon (Omaha). Snow Goose Moon (Cree). Freshness Moon (Mohawk). Harvest Moon (Neo-Pagan). Harvest (Colonial American). Little Chestnut Moon (Creek). Corn Maker Moon (Abernaki). Drying Grass Moon (Arapaho). Yellow Leaf Moon (Assiniboine). Drying Grass Moon (Cheyenne). Autumn Moon (Passamaquoddy). Barley Moon (Mediaeval English). Calves Hair Growth Moon (Dakota). Yellow Leaf Moon(Taos Native American). Nut Moon, Black Butterfly Moon (Cherokee). Drying Grass Moon, Black Calve Moon, fScarlet Plum Moon (Sioux). Harvest Moon, Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Fruit Moon, Dying Grass Moon (Algonquin).

Harvest full moon last night how beautiful 🌕🧘‍♀️🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/PlAe7mubgk

— Leíghá Loughran (@Leighaloughran_) September 17, 2024

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