'Cold Supermoon' 2025: Why the final full moon of the year also towers highest

Skywatchers are in for a stunning spectacle this week when the second-biggest full moon of 2025, the Cold Supermoon, rises in the east at dusk and appears higher in the night sky than any other full moon of the year.

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.

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.

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.

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.