What makes this year’s cold moon a lunar rarity

On By Littum

The last full moon in 2024 will rise as far north as it ever does — a phenomenon that happens every 18.6 years, called a “major lunar stasis.”

December’s full moon, also known as the cold moon, will peak around 4 a.m. EST on Sunday, but will appear full on both Saturday and Monday evenings.

It will shine next to it Geminid meteor showerwhich peaks from 13.-14. December.

Because the cold moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the winter solstice—the longest night of the year for the Northern Hemisphere—it takes the highest path along the top of the sky, making it visible longer than other full moons.

What is a major lunar stasis?

During a major lunar standstill, which happens every 18.6 yearsthe moon rises and sets in its northernmost and southernmost positions on the horizon. On the 15th of December the full moon will reach its northernmost point in the skyaccording to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

It appears, Space.com said because the moon does not follow the same path as the sun. “Its rising and setting positions on the horizon are constantly changing due to the movements of the Earth and the moon,” Space.com reported.

Stonehenge, the ancient monument in England, believed to have been designed with the great lunar standstill in mind. The location of the stones corresponds to the direction of the southernmost moonrise.

Why is December’s full moon called the cold moon?

The term cold moon originates from the Mohawk tribe, who named it for the cold conditions that occur during it. The moon was also called “the long night moon” by the Mohicans, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

CONTRIBUTOR Doyle Rice