"December's full supermoon, also called the cold moon, will be at its fullest around 6:14 p.m. ET Thursday, according to EarthSky. On Thursday, the moon will rise right around sunset time, and that's why it's full, because it's exactly opposite in the sky from where the sun is, said Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA's Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2027."
"A supermoon happens when the moon reaches perigee, or its nearest point to our planet, making it appear larger and fuller. The moniker cold moon indicates that it's the full moon event closest to the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The solstice, which will occur on December 21, marks the beginning of winter in the hemisphere ."
December's full supermoon, called the cold moon, will be at its fullest around 6:14 p.m. ET Thursday and will also appear full Wednesday and Friday nights. The moon rises near sunset when it is opposite the sun, making it fully illuminated. Supermoons occur at perigee, the moon's nearest point to Earth, causing a larger apparent size and brightness. The cold moon falls close to the winter solstice on December 21. Indigenous names include the Cherokee 'snow moon' and the Abenaki 'winter maker moon.' The timing aligns with Apollo 8 and Apollo 17 anniversaries and precedes the Artemis II lunar mission.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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