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As thefinal full moon of both 2024and descent , the rise of the Cold Moon will provide a spectacular , if frosty , finish to the celestial calendar .
formally full at 4:01 a.m. EST this Sunday ( Dec. 15 ) , the full lunar month will be best see rising in the east later that sidereal day at thetime of moonrisewhere you are . It will be in the constellation Taurus , hem in by some of the night sky ’s brightest star and the satellite Jupiter . The lunation will also come along bright and full on Saturday ( Dec. 14 ) and Monday ( Dec. 16 ) .
Although it can easily be seen with the naked eye , a duad ofbinocularsor asmall beginners ' telescopewill give you a terrifying finish - up of the orangey lunar surface as it appears above the easterly apparent horizon .
The Cold Moon is so named because it rises just a week before the December solstice , the longest Nox of the twelvemonth in the Northern Hemisphere , which signals the beginning of astronomical wintertime . It ’s also known as the Long Nights Moon and the Moon Before Yule , referring to a Pagan fete coinciding with the solstice .
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While the name Cold Moon come from Mohawk finish , according to theOld Farmer ’s Almanac , other Native American names include Drift Clearing Moon , Hoar Frost Moon , Snow Moon and Winter Maker Moon . According toTimeanddate , the Cold Moon and Oak Moon are also names from Celtic culture that refer to December ’s full lunar month .
Since the moon will be opposite the sun , the moon will mirror the sunshine ’s movements . When the sun is at its lowest point in the daytime southern sky , as seen from the Northern Hemisphere , the Cold Moon will be at its high .
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On the night of the full moon , our rude satellite will shine below Capella in the constellation Auriga and aboveBetelgeusein the configuration Orion , with Jupiter to its right . The largest planet will be clearly seeable all month long in the night sky .
The Cold Moon also prove near the peak of theGeminid meteoroid shower , one of the year ’s most prolific show of " bourgeon stars . " unluckily , the bright moon ’s glare will make it harder to tell apart as many meteors as usual .
The next full moon after the Cold Moon will be the Wolf Moon , which will turn full on Jan. 13 , 2025 .
This article was update on Dec. 12 to reflect that the full moon rises this weekend .
