December’s full moon rises this weekend — How to see the last full moon of 2024

On December 14, 2024By Littum

The last full moon of 2024 lights up the sky this weekend to welcome in the holiday season.

December’s full cold moon will rise overnight on Saturday (December 14) and remain in the sky throughout the night until waning at sunrise on Sunday (December 15). The full moon will rise in the constellation of Taurus, right along the horns of Taurus close to the neighboring constellation of Auriga, the charioteer. Close by will be a bright Jupiter.

The December full moon also coincides with the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, which should be most active on the night of December 13. The moon can make it difficult to see all but the brightest meteors, but skywatchers should be able to see a few “shooting stars” with a little patience and some warm clothing.

TOP TELESCOPE CHOICES:

Celestron NexStar 4SE on white background — (Image credit: Celestron)

Want to see the moon feature up close? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners who want quality, reliable and fast viewing of celestial bodies. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review.

The exact moment of the December full moon will occur at 4:02 a.m. EST (0902 GMT) on Sunday morning, December 15. But even already on Friday evening (13 December) the moon will be 97.9% illuminated, according to Time and datewhich makes it look quite full to most observers. For two days after the full moon, the moon will remain over 90% illuminated, although the moon will rise later and later each day.

Aside from Jupiter, December’s full moon will also share the sky with bright Venus, shining in the southwest as an “evening star” before setting a few hours after sunset. Saturn will also be prominent, staying high in the sky in the constellation of Aquarius for several hours after the moon rises. Mars will rise a few hours after the Moon, just above the Twins of Gemini.

December’s Cold Moon gets its name from the fact that the nights are generally long and cold in the last month of the year. Other names for the full moon in December include the Oak Moon from some Celtic traditions, the Snow Moon in Cherokee traditions, or the Long Night Moon, a name from the Mohicans.

If you want to try taking your own photos of the full moon in December, check out our guide on how to photograph the moon. And if you don’t have everything you need to shoot the night sky, check out our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.

Editor’s Note: If you take a great photo of December’s full cold moon you’d like to share with Space.com and our news partners for a story or photo gallery, send photos and comments to [email protected].