At what time and location can the Cold Moon, the final and longest full moon of 2023, be observed tonight?

December 26, 2023 Benjamin Hughes

On Monday night, the year’s final and longest full moon made an appearance, reaching its peak on Tuesday.

NASA reports that the full moon for December, known as the Cold Moon and Long Night Moon, will reach its brightest point at 7:33 p.m. ET on Tuesday. It will maintain the appearance of a full moon until Thursday morning. The Old Farmer’s Almanac provides exact moonrise times for various ZIP codes in the United States.

It’s not complicated to see the full moon: NASA suggests

Venturing outdoors and gazing upwards. at the sky. Using a telescope or binoculars will magnify the moon and clarify details on its surface. Local forecasts have detailed information on how clear the night sky will be in different locations where people are keeping an eye out for the moon.

On December 21st, we experienced the winter solstice, which is known for having the longest night of the year.

According to NASA, the full moon follows a high path in the sky due to its position being opposite to the low sun. This results in the moon remaining visible above the horizon for a longer period compared to other times of the year.

December’s full moon has various names such as Drift Clearing Moon, Frost Exploding Trees Moon, Moon of the Popping Trees, Hoar Frost Moon, Snow Moon, Winter Maker Moon, Moon When the Deer Shed Their Antlers, and Little Spirit Moon, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. In Europe, ancient pagans referred to it as the Moon Before Yule.

On Tuesday, NASA expressed their admiration for us regardless of what we’re called, on one of their social media platforms.

The upcoming full moon in the following month is known as the Wolf Moon. It is set to reach its peak on January 25th.

First Full Wolf Moon of 2023 in El Salvador — This full moon is referred to as the “Wolf Moon” and it is the first one to appear after the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, where the nights are still very long. In the southern hemisphere, it occurs during summer.

Alex Pena/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Can the moon be completely illuminated on Christmas?

2015.

The last time Christmas coincided with a full moon was in 2015, which is a rare occurrence.2015

There had not been a previous occurrence since 1977.

According to astronomers, the next full moon on Christmas will not occur until 2034.

A bright full moon lights up the Yuletide sky of December 25 — On December 25, 2015, the Yuletide sky was illuminated by a brilliant full moon. This was a rare occurrence as it had been 38 years since a full moon coincided with Christmas. The next time this will happen is in 2034.

The image above is courtesy of Sherbien Dacalanio from Pacific Press, available on LightRocket via Getty Images.

Aliza Chasan

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer for 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. Her writing has been featured on various platforms, such as PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition, and DNAinfo. Aliza reports on current events, with a particular emphasis on crime and politics.

Source: cbsnews.com