Topline

December’s cold moon – the last full moon of the year – will appear in the sky overnight this weekend, coinciding with a rare lunar event that will allow observers to watch it rise and set at its furthest points on the horizon.

Important facts

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tangent

The weekend will see the Geminid meteor shower, which is expected to light up the sky with dozens of shooting stars every hour, some glowing green and purple. The meteor shower is expected to be visible Friday evening, but could be washed out by the nearly full moon.

What you should pay attention to

Griffith Observatory will host a live broadcast of the full moon rising on Sunday.

Important background

December’s full moon was originally called the cold moon by Native Americans because it coincides with the long, cold nights of winter, according to the Maine Farmers’ Almanac. It is also called by Europeans the “Moon before Christmas” and the “Oak Moon” because it is the full moon before the winter solstice, and the “Moon of the Long Night” because it is visible longer than other moons due to the path of the sun. Other cultures called it Chang’e Moon, Frost Moon and Winter Moon, among other names.

Big number

16 hours 3 minutes. This is how long the moon is in the sky from Sunday to Monday. Click here to see the specific moonrise times for different areas in the US

Further reading

ForbesHere’s how to see the last “great lunar standstill” this weekend until 2043From Jamie CarterForbesThe annual Geminid meteor shower will peak this evening – here’s how to watch itFrom Ty Roush