In December, when winter sets in the Northern Hemisphere, the Full Moon is called the Cold Moon. It is also called Long Nights Moon, and the Moon before Yule.
The Cold Moon — the 12th and final full moon of 2024 — will rise on Dec. 15 and ascend higher into the night sky than any other, to sit alongside the planet Jupiter.
As the final full moon of both 2024 and fall, the rise of the Cold Moon will provide a spectacular, if frosty, finale to the celestial calendar.
Officially full at 4:01 a.m. EST on Sunday (Dec. 15), the full moon will be best seen rising in the east later that day at the time of moonrise where you are. It will be in the constellation Taurus, surrounded by some of the night sky’s brightest stars and the planet Jupiter.
Although it can easily be seen with the naked eye, a pair of binoculars or a small beginners’ telescope will give you a terrific close-up of the orangey lunar surface as it appears above the eastern horizon.
Cold Moon 2024
15 de dic de 2024, 3:01
Cold Moon 2025
4 de dic de 2025, 17:14
Times for the Cold Moon vary by time zone. Times and dates are based on the local time in Mexico City. Change location
Named after the Cold Setting In
December is the month when winter truly begins in large parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Most of the ancient Full Moon names are related to the low temperatures and darkness at this time of year—the Celts called it the Cold Moon or the Full Cold Moon.
Is December really cold? Well that depends of course on the climate where you live.
Ancient Solstice Celebration
The Old English and Anglo-Saxon names of the December Full Moon are the Moon Before Yule and the Long Night Moon. Both names refer to the winter solstice, and the ancient celebration of Yule. Another Celtic name is the Oak Moon.
