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The final full moonshine of 2023 — and the first full lunar month of winter — will climb this Christmas when the Cold Moon ascends .
formally full at 7:34 p.m. EST on Tuesday ( Dec. 26 ) , the full moonlight will be best seen rise up in the E later that day at thetime of moonrisewhere you are . It will be in the constellation Gemini .
Geese fly in front of 2022’s full Cold Moon.
The moon will also appear bright and full the day before and after , rising during dusk for three successive evening from Dec. 25 to the 27th . That ’s ideal timing for anyone looking to judge out a new pair ofbinocularsor asmall beginner telescopethis holiday time of year .
The Cold Moon will be the first full synodic month sincethe Northern Hemisphere ’s wintertime solsticeon Dec. 22 . It will be opposite the sun in the sky , but this month , it will also mirror the sun ’s path through the sky . So while the sun is currently at its lowest in the Northern Hemisphere ’s daytime sky , the full moon is at its high .
On the night of the full synodic month and the Nox before — Christmas Day — our born planet will shine roughly between two bright whiz in the E : Capella in the constellation Auriga , above will , and theever - exciting star Betelgeusein the constellation Orion , below right .
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The December full moonshine ’s popular name , the Cold Moon , is a Mohawk name , according to theOld Farmer ’s Almanac . Other names include the Long Night Moon ( a reference to the solstice — the longest night of the class ) , Drift Clearing Moon , Hoar Frost Moon , Snow Moon and Winter Maker Moon .
The next full moon will occur on Jan. 25 ; the Wolf Moon will be the first of 12 full lunar month in 2024 .
