December's full moon will add some extra shine to Christmas when it glows brightest toward the end of the month. Appropriately called the Cold Moon, here's everything you need to know about when and how best to see it.
The next full moon will reach peak illumination just after Christmas on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, according to NASA.
To the naked eye, the moon will appear almost full on the nights of Dec. 24 and 25 (93% and 98%, respectively), creating a great moment for parents to read "T'was the Night Before Christmas," to their children, when the "moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, gave the luster of mid-day to objects below."
This full moon is also a partial lunar eclipse, according to the experts at NASA, an imperfect alignment of the sun, Earth and moon that results in the moon passing through only part of Earth's umbra.
It's the first full moon after the winter solstice when temperatures are normally freezing in the northern hemisphere.
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, according to the National Weather Service, when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. This means selenophiles — people who love and appreciate the moon — will get extra time this month to marvel at Earth's lunar satellite as it soars across the heavens.
The name for December's full moon, the Cold Moon, is attributed to the tradition of the Mohawk people, according to the Farmer's Almanac. The name reflects the frigid conditions of December and the increasing grip of winter.
Other names for December's full moon also reflect icy conditions and the deepening of winter. These include the Snow Moon from the Haida and Cherokee traditions and the Western Abenaki people's Winter Maker Moon.
Alternative names for the Cold Moon describe the effects of winter on the environment and nature. These include the Cree's Frost Exploding Trees Moon and the Moon of the Popping Trees from the Oglala people. These nature-based names include the Dakota people's name for the December full moon, the Moon When the Deer Shed Their Antlers.
Some names for the December full moon relate to other observations of the period surrounding this full moon, such as the Mohican name for this full moon, the Long Night Moon, which references the fact it rises on the nights close to the winter solstice which are the longest nights of the years.
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.
VIDEO
The next full moon will reach peak illumination just after Christmas on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, according to NASA.
To the naked eye, the moon will appear almost full on the nights of Dec. 24 and 25 (93% and 98%, respectively), creating a great moment for parents to read "T'was the Night Before Christmas," to their children, when the "moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, gave the luster of mid-day to objects below."
This full moon is also a partial lunar eclipse, according to the experts at NASA, an imperfect alignment of the sun, Earth and moon that results in the moon passing through only part of Earth's umbra.
It's the first full moon after the winter solstice when temperatures are normally freezing in the northern hemisphere.
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, according to the National Weather Service, when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. This means selenophiles — people who love and appreciate the moon — will get extra time this month to marvel at Earth's lunar satellite as it soars across the heavens.
Other names for December's full moon also reflect icy conditions and the deepening of winter. These include the Snow Moon from the Haida and Cherokee traditions and the Western Abenaki people's Winter Maker Moon.
Alternative names for the Cold Moon describe the effects of winter on the environment and nature. These include the Cree's Frost Exploding Trees Moon and the Moon of the Popping Trees from the Oglala people. These nature-based names include the Dakota people's name for the December full moon, the Moon When the Deer Shed Their Antlers.
Some names for the December full moon relate to other observations of the period surrounding this full moon, such as the Mohican name for this full moon, the Long Night Moon, which references the fact it rises on the nights close to the winter solstice which are the longest nights of the years.
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.
VIDEO
Responses to "Full Cold Moon 2023: Cold Christmas Moon Rise Just After The Winter Solstice"