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The Cold Moon, the 12th and final full moon of 2025, will rise tonight (Dec. 4) and reach its highest point in the night sky.
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The year's final full moon is both a 'supermoon' and the highest full moon of the year.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Update (Dec. 4, 11:00 a.m. ET): December's full 'Cold Supermoon' reaches peak fullness tonight (Dec. 4) just after 6:00 p.m. EST. It will also appear bright and full on Friday night. Make sure to look up at the year's final supermoon!
Officially full at 6:14 p.m. EST on Thursday (Dec. 4), the moon will rise in the east within the constellation Taurus. Although the moon is technically full at a specific moment, it's most visually impressive at the time of moonrise where you are, when it appears largest near the horizon.
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It's the third of four "supermoons" in a row, and the second largest of the year after November's Beaver Moon. A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth, called perigee. Supermoons appear about 10% larger than average.
Although it will be closest to being full at dusk on Dec. 4, the Cold Moon will also appear bright and full the day before and after, looking particularly impressive on Friday (Dec. 5), when it rises an hour or so after sunset. That's perfect timing for skywatchers who want to try out a new pair of binoculars or a small beginner telescope this holiday season.
December's Cold Moon always climbs higher in the sky than any other full moon of the year. As the winter solstice nears on Dec. 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun appears at its lowest in the sky during the day. In contrast, the full moon — which, by definition, is opposite the sun — rises to its highest at night.
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According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, Native American names for December's full moon include the Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree), the Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), the Moon When the Deer Shed Their Antlers (Dakota), the Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki), the Cold Moon (Mohawk) and the Long Night Moon (Mohican). The latter comes from this full moon's closeness to the winter solstice, which occurs on Dec. 21 this year. Old English and Anglo-Saxon names for December's full moon are the Moon Before Yule and the Long Night Moon, according to Time and Date.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter nowContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The next full moon will be the Wolf Moon on Jan. 3, 2026, the fourth and final supermoon in a row. It will be the first of 13 full moons in 2026, thanks to a Blue Moon — the second full moon in a calendar month — occurring in May 2026.
Jamie CarterSocial Links NavigationLive Science contributorJamie Carter is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor based in Cardiff, U.K. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners and lectures on astronomy and the natural world. Jamie regularly writes for Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife magazine and Scientific American, and many others. He edits WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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