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Click here to see the Moon phase dates and times for your location. в†’ See a full calendar year of full Moon names and their meanings.Д«elow are the dates and times (in Eastern Time) of the MoonвЂ™s phases in December. In Europe, ancient pagans called the DecemberВ full Moon the вЂњ Moon Before Yule,вЂќ in honor of the Yuletide festival celebrating the return of the sun heralded by winterВ solstice. Other names include Moon When the Deer Shed Their AntlersВ (Dakota) and Little Spirit Moon (Anishinaabe). This name is doublyВ fitting because DecemberвЂ™s full Moon shines above the horizon for a longer period of time thanВ most fullВ Moons. This full Moon hasВ also been called the Long NightВ Moon (Mohican), as it rises during the вЂњlongestвЂќ nights of the year, which are near the December winter solstice. Other names that allude to the cold and snow include Drift Clearing MoonВ (Cree), Frost Exploding Trees MoonВ (Cree), Moon of the Popping TreesВ (Oglala), Hoar Frost MoonВ (Cree), Snow MoonВ (Haida, Cherokee), and Winter Maker MoonВ (WesternВ Abenaki). Today, DecemberвЂ™s full Moon is most commonlyВ known as the Cold Moon-a Mohawk name that conveys the frigidВ conditions ofВ this time of year, when cold weather truly begins to gripВ us. AВ varietyВ ofВ Native American peoples traditionally used the monthly Moons and natureвЂ™s corresponding signs as a calendar to trackВ theВ seasons. The Moon names we use in The Old FarmerвЂ™s AlmanacВ come from Native American, Colonial American, or other traditionalВ sources passed down throughВ generations. Look up at the full Moon on the 18th (or a day earlier or later)! What do youВ think? Why Is It Called the ColdВ Moon? The perceived size of the Moon from Earth is more related to the вЂњ Moon IllusionвЂќ and how close the Moon appears to the horizon in this case, itвЂ™s high above the horizon so it may not appear to loom over us the way it appears when itвЂ™s near theВ horizon. This distance does affect the MoonвЂ™s size and brightness, although itвЂ™s probably not that visible to the naked eye. One side is nearer to Earth and one side is farther. Why is the Moon nearer or farther (in this instance) from Earth? Simple: The Moon orbits Earth in an elliptical path. In astronomical terms, we call this its вЂњapogee.вЂќ Specifically, DecemberвЂ™s Micro Full Moon is about 252,000 miles fromВ Earth.

Think of this term as the opposite of a вЂњ Supermoon.вЂќ It simply means that the full Moon is at its farthest point from Earth (not the nearest point). What makes DecemberвЂ™s Full MoonВ special?ДЇirst, itвЂ™s most distinctive for its high trajectory across the sky, which results in the full Moon sitting above the horizon for a longer period ofВ time. To find the exact time that it will appear in your area, consultВ our MoonriseВ Calculator.

Start looking for the full Moon just before sunsetВ as it begins to peekВ above the horizon. Advertisement When to See DecemberвЂ™s FullВ MoonДecemberвЂ™s Cold Moon reaches peak illumination on Saturday, December 18, 2021, atВ 11:37 P.M.

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