Meet December Full Moon 2025: The Last “Extreme” Full Moon Until 2042
The last Full Moon of 2025 is coming! The December Full Moon, known as the Cold Moon, will take place on December 4. This will be the last Supermoon until November 2026 and the most “extreme” Full Moon until 2042. Use the Sky Tonight app to find out when it will be visible from your location, and read on to learn what the Cold Moon means.
Contents
- When is the Full Moon in December 2025?
- Major lunar standstill is ending: December Full Moon is the last “extreme” one until 2042
- December Supermoon — The Last Supermoon of 2025
- What is the December Full Moon 2025 name?
- When is the next Full Moon?
- Full Moon in December 2025: key facts
When is the Full Moon in December 2025?
Our natural satellite will reach the Full Moon phase on December 4, at 23:14 GMT. Astronomically speaking, the Full Moon is the exact moment when the Moon reaches opposition to the Sun in the sky. But to observers, the lunar disk will appear full and bright for one day before and after it.
This Full Moon will be the last one before the December solstice, which makes it the last Full Moon of this astronomical season. It will also be the closest Full Moon to the solstice: at this time of the year, the Northern Hemisphere experiences long winter nights, giving observers from that part of the world even more time to enjoy the Full Moon. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, the summer nights are short, so there is less time for observation, but the warm weather makes for a pleasant stargazing experience.
Moon phases for December 2025
- Full Moon: December 4, 23:14 GMT
- Last Quarter: December 11, 20:52 GMT
- New Moon: December 20, 01:43 GMT
- First Quarter: December 27, 19:10 GMT
Visit the Moon Phases section on our website. There, you can check out the monthly lunar calendar and find out the Moon phase for any specific day, as well as the moonrise and moonset times. Need a portable lunar calendar? Track the Moon’s phases anytime, anywhere with Sky Tonight or Star Walk 2.
New Moon in December 2025
The New Moon occurs on December 20, at 01:43 GMT. It brings ideal stargazing conditions, with no bright moonlight to interfere. Just two days after the New Moon, the last major meteor shower of the year, the Ursids, will peak, producing up to 10 meteors per hour.
This is a great time to explore the night sky, whether you’re watching shooting stars, bright planets, or deep-sky objects. Not sure where to start? Use the “Visible Tonight” feature in the Sky Tonight app to discover the best celestial objects to see tonight in your exact location.
What time does the Full Moon rise?
The Full Moon rises at sunset and stays in the sky all night until morning. Here is a step-by-step guide to finding the exact moonrise and moonset times for your location with our free stargazing apps.
- Tap the menu icon in the lower right corner of the main screen and tap “Sky Live” to open the corresponding window.
- In the upper right corner, tap the date stamp and change the date to December 4, 2025.
- On the screen, you’ll see the exact timings when the Moon and other sky objects rise and set for your location.
- Tap the calendar icon at the bottom of the main screen.
- Tap the tab “Moon” at the top of the screen.
- Tap on December 4.
- You’ll see the moonrise and moonset times along with other useful information.
December Full Moon in Taurus
The December Full Moon can lie in one of three constellations: Taurus (where it stays most often), Gemini, and, occasionally, Orion. In 2025, it will be located in Taurus.
The next December Full Moon in Orion will occur on December 20, 2029. On this night, when the Moon rises above the horizon, it will take a blood-red hue, as a total lunar eclipse will take place!
Bright stars near the Full Moon in December
On December 4, the Full Moon will shine near the Pleiades, one of the most famous star clusters in the sky. The Moon and the Pleiades will be separated by just 0°48'. Note that the Pleiades may be difficult to see due to the Moon’s brightness. For the best view, use binoculars.
On December 5, the Moon will pass close to Pollux, the brightest star in Gemini. Another bright dot nearby won’t be a star — it’s Jupiter! The three objects will form a straight line in the sky, with the Moon now appearing slightly waning. This makes for a great astrophotography opportunity.
On December 7, the Moon will also approach the Beehive Cluster, another prominent star cluster. Due to the Moon’s glow, spotting the Beehive with the naked eye may be challenging. A pair of binoculars will help reveal the stars.
Major lunar standstill is ending: December Full Moon is the last “extreme” one until 2042
The December Full Moon is the closest Full Moon to the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (December 21), making it the highest Full Moon of the year. Similarly, the closest Full Moon to the summer solstice is the lowest of the year.
But this year, it’s even more special! The December Full Moon of 2025 will be the highest Full Moon until 2042 in the Northern Hemisphere! It will also rise and set at its most northeasterly and northwesterly points in the sky.
Note that in the Southern Hemisphere, the situation is reversed, so the December Full Moon will be the lowest Full Moon in that part of the world, while the highest Full Moon occurred on June 11, 2025.
Why is this happening? Just like the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky at the summer solstice and lowest at the winter solstice, the Moon also has its “ups and downs” — but its movement is more complex. The Moon’s orbit is tilted by 5.1° relative to the ecliptic, and since the ecliptic is already tilted 23.4° from the celestial equator, the Moon can go as far as +28.7° north or -28.7° south in the sky. It's further than the Sun can ever get.
If these celestial mechanics seem tricky to picture, take a look at our infographic on celestial coordinates.
When the Moon reaches the extreme positions, its rising and setting points stop shifting for a while and reverse direction — this is called a lunar standstill or lunistice, and it happens twice every month. However, the Sun’s gravity also slowly shifts the Moon’s orbit westward by about 19° per year. Over 18.6 years, this movement completes a full cycle, affecting how high or low the Moon appears. The extremes reached over this cycle are called the minor and major lunar standstills.
Right now, we are in the 2024–2025 major lunar standstill season, meaning the Moon is reaching its most extreme points in the sky. The absolute highest Full Moons of this cycle are the Full Moons on December 15, 2024 (in the Northern Hemisphere) and on June 11, 2025 (in the Southern Hemisphere).
The December 2025 Full Moon, reaching a declination of +28°15.9', will be higher than any other upcoming Full Moon until 2042. This means it will be visible for most of the night, and high buildings or mountains won't block it, making it an excellent viewing opportunity.
Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, the December Full Moon will be unusually low, staying close to the horizon — similar to how the Sun behaves during a winter solstice. The Moon will shine through the thick layer of air and appear golden, orange, or even reddish. It will also appear much bigger due to the effect called Moon illusion.
December Supermoon — The Last Supermoon of 2025
The December Full Moon isn’t just the last Full Moon of 2025 — it’s also the last Supermoon of the year. It will appear 7.9% larger and 15% brighter than an average Full Moon. After this, the next Supermoon won’t occur until November 24, 2026.
A Supermoon happens when a Full Moon coincides with perigee, the Moon’s closest point to Earth in its orbit. While it does get slightly bigger and brighter, the difference is subtle — most people won’t notice it with the naked eye. However, there’s a way to spot the change: take a photo of the December Supermoon, then capture the January 2026 Full Moon from the same angle and compare!
Want to learn more about Supermoons and Micromoons? Check out our infographic for details.
What is the December Full Moon 2025 name?
The most common traditional name for the Full Moon in December is Cold Moon. To learn more folklore names for every Full Moon in a year, take a look at our Full Moon calendar.
Cold Moon meaning
The name Cold Moon originates from Mohawk Native American culture and implies that the temperatures drop significantly at that time. American Indian tribes associated the name of the Full Moon with the entire month until the next Full Moon, so the Mohawk name also means “time of the cold.”
December Full Moon Alternative Names
In the Northern Hemisphere, the December Full Moon is the closest to the winter solstice that marks the longest night of the year. That’s why another popular name for it is Long Night Moon. The winter solstice was celebrated as the Yule festival in the Anglo-Saxon tradition, so one more Full Moon’s name is the Moon Before Yule.
In the Southern Hemisphere, December is a warm month, and the traditional Full Moon’s names were connected to the summer season, like Strawberry Moon.
Here are some more examples of the December Full Moon names in different cultures:
- Chinese: Bitter Moon
- English Medieval: Oak Moon
- Cherokee: Snow Moon
- Colonial American: Christmas Moon
- Southern Hemisphere: Strawberry Moon, Honey Moon, Rose Moon
Mourning Moon meaning
Being the last Full Moon before the winter solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere), the Full Moon in December 2025 can be referred to as Mourning Moon. This is the Full Moon’s name in the Pagan tradition. For the pagans, it represents the time to get rid of old things and ideas that are weighing you down, while allowing yourself to mourn them gone.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon after December 4 will already be in the year 2026. It will occur on January 3, at 10:03 GMT. The traditional January Full Moon name is Wolf Moon.
When is the next Cold Moon?
In 2025, the Cold Moon will occur on December 4, at 23:14 GMT. After that, the next Cold Moon will occur on December 24, 2026, at 01:28 GMT.
When is the next Supermoon?
The Full Moon on December 4, 2025, is the last Supermoon of the year. After that, the next Supermoon will take place on November 24, 2026.
Full Moon in December 2025: key facts
The last Full Moon of the year 2025 will be the Full Moon on December 4. It’s traditionally called the Cold Moon because of the harsh weather in December in the Northern Hemisphere. This Full Moon will be the last Supermoon until November 2026, appearing slightly bigger and brighter than a regular Full Moon.
And that's not all! This Full Moon will also be the highest in the Northern Hemisphere and the lowest in the Southern Hemisphere until 2042. In the Northern Hemisphere, it will stay high in the sky longer, making it easier to view without obstructions like buildings or trees. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, it will hover near the horizon, appearing larger and glowing orange due to atmospheric refraction.
Such a rare sight won’t happen again for nearly two decades! Check when and where the Moon rises in your exact location with the Sky Tonight app and enjoy this extra-special Full Moon!
