This weekend, the last full moon of 2024 will light up the sky, ushering in the festive season.
December full moon cool moon It rose on Saturday night (December 14) and stayed in the sky all night until it set with the sunrise today (December 15). For the rest of the weekend, it will still appear very full to the casual observer. full moon rises in Taurus zodiac signjust along the adjacent Bullhorn Aurigacharioteer. There will be a light nearby Jupiter.
The full moon in December also coincides with The peak of the Geminid meteor showeris expected to be most active on the night of December 13th. clothing.
Best telescope options:
Want to see the moon’s features up close? this Celestron NexStar 4SE Ideal for beginners who want high-quality, reliable and fast observations of celestial objects. Learn more about our Celestron NexStar 4SE review.
The exact moment of December’s full moon occurs on Sunday morning, December 15, at 4:02 a.m. ET (0902 GMT). time and datemaking it appear quite complete to most observers. For two days after the full moon, the moon’s illumination will remain above 90%, although the moon will rise later and later each day.
In addition to Jupiter, December’s full moon will also share the bright sky Venusshining in the southwest as an “evening star” before setting a few hours after sunset. saturn After the moon rises, it will also be prominent, remaining in the sky in the constellation Aquarius for several hours. Mars It will rise a few hours after the moon, just above the twins in the constellation Gemini.
December’s Cold Moon is so named because the nights during the last month of the year are typically long and cold. Other names for the December Full Moon include the “Oak Moon” from Celtic tradition, the “Snow Moon” from Cherokee tradition, or the “Long Night Moon” from the Mohican name.
If you’d like to try taking your own December Full Moon photos, check out our guide How to Photograph the Moon. If you don’t have everything you need to photograph the night sky, check out our Best astrophotography cameras and The best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you took a great photo of the December Cold Moon full moon and would like to share a story or gallery with Space.com and our news partners, please send images and comments to spacephotos@space.com.