The twelfth and final full moon of 2024 – the “Cold Moon” – will rise next weekend and light up the early evening sky as it rises in the east at dusk.

It’s called the “Cold Moon” – but also the “Moon of Long Nights” and the “Moon before Christmas” – here’s everything you need to know about it, including exactly when, where and how to get it from your Best way to see from location:

When is the “cold moon”?

The Cold Moon will become full on Sunday, December 15th at 9:01 UTC/4:01 a.m. EST, and the best time to see it rise is during moonrise that day. That’s almost two days after the peak of the annual Geminid meteor shower.

Best time to see the full “cold moon”.

A full moon looks best when it appears on the eastern horizon just after the sun has set in the west. It will look more striking than usual and will be a beautiful, muted orange color. The best time to view it is a few minutes after the moon rises at your location, but depends on your location.

Sunday December 15th

• In New York, sunset is at 4:29 p.m. EST and moonrise is at 4:32 p.m. EST.
• In Los Angeles, sunset is at 4:45 p.m. PST and moonrise is at 5:03 p.m. PST.

Monday, December 16th

• In London, sunset is at 3:52 p.m. GMT and moonrise is at 4:28 p.m. GMT.

How to see the full “cold moon”

For the best view of the Cold Moon – provided the sky is clear – head to a high location facing east with a clear view deep to the horizon. Everything is fine with the naked eye, but with binoculars you get a spectacular close-up.

Why the “Cold Moon” is an “extreme” full moon

This weekend’s cold full moon marks a rare celestial event: the great lunar standstill, which only occurs once every 18.6 years. On December 15, 2024, the full moon will rise and set at its northernmost points. The phenomenon occurs due to the Moon’s tilted orbit and the Earth’s axial tilt, which result in dramatic rises and sets over a two-year cycle – although this is the weekend when the northernmost full moon rises. It won’t happen again until December 2043.

Why the “Cold Moon” will hang high

The full moon in December is always the highest hanging full moon of the year. This is because the moon reflects the sun’s path across the sky. Since the sun is lowest in the sky this month as seen from the northern hemisphere, the full moon must be at its highest point compared to the sun. It will also be in the night sky longer than any other full moon of the year.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon after the Cold Moon will be the full Wolf Moon on Monday, January 13th at 10:26 p.m. UTC/5:26 p.m. EST – the first full moon of winter and 2025.

I wish you clear skies and big eyes.