December's Cold Moon is approaching and is expected to be a better spectacle than the typical December show in 2025. That's because this full moon, also called the Snow Moon, the Winter Maker Moon, and the Deer Sheds antlers Moon, will be a supermoon—the third and final in a series of three supermoons this year.
So the Cold Moon will end the year with a shimmering explosion, lighting up the sky as 2026 approaches. But when will that shining finale be the biggest and brightest, and why is it called the “Cold Moon” to begin with?
How to Watch the December Supermoon
On December 4, 2025, the Cold Moon will rise in the eastern sky near sunset. Reaching its peak around midnight, it will appear in the vicinity of some of the the brightest constellations and starsincluding Orion and Sirius, and will set in the western sky around sunrise on December 5, 2025.
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac—a frequently cited source for timing sunrises, sunsets, moon phases, and meteor showers—the Moon will be at its brightest at approximately 6:14 p.m. EST, although the ideal time to view it may actually coincide with its first appearance in the sky thanks to the “moon illusion,” an optical illusion that causes the moon to stand out most at moonrise. as it moves above the sky horizon.
That being said, whether it's at moonrise or midnight, you can get much more than a normal sighting. As a supermoon, or a full moon that marks the Moon's closest position to our planet, or perigee, this Cold Moon may shine brighter than most, following in the footsteps of the October Moon. Supermoon Harvest and November Beaver Supermoon. In fact, on December 4, 2025, the Moon will be approximately 222,000 miles from our planet in its orbit, making it appear both larger and brighter in the darkened sky.
While these differences can be a little difficult to detect when comparing supermoons and average moons, they are much more obvious between a supermoon and a micromoon, or full moon, which occurs when the moon approaches its apogee, or its farthest position from our planet. Indeed, The Old Farmer's Almanac suggests that supermoons can appear about 7 to 8 percent larger than the average full moon and about 14 percent larger than a micromoon, as well as brighter, assuming conditions are right. So, cross your fingers for clear conditions this year.
Read more: Why do we only see one side of the Moon's surface?
Origin of the Cold Moon
Like many of the other common names for full moons also included in The Old Farmer's Almanac, the name “Cold Moon” takes inspiration from centuries of Native American culture. Coming from In keeping with the traditions of the Iroquois, a North American tribe that speaks the Iroquoian language, the name emphasizes the cool temperatures of the season and the importance of the moon in tracking seasonal transitions.
Other names for the December Cold Moon emphasize the weather conditions that accompany its appearance or its proximity to the winter solstice. For example, among the Algonquian-speaking Mohicans of North America, the moon is called the “Long Night Moon” because it appears when the days are shortest.
Of course, if you miss the Cold Moon this year, there are other opportunities to see great views in the December sky. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, a supermoon occurs approximately 10 days before the moon's first appearance. Geminidsmeteor shower that could produce a dramatic spectacle between December 13 and 14, 2025. Fortunately, by this time the moon will become dimmer, shining a small stripe in the sky – a waning crescent – setting the stage for a bright stream of shooting stars.
Read more: The colors of the moon from pink to blue are not always bright
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