Stargazers across the Northern Hemisphere will get a bright winter highlight this December as the full cold moon rises in the night sky. The December 2025 full moon is not only the last full moon of fall but also a supermoon, making it appear larger and brighter than usual. It will also climb higher in the sky than any other full moon of the year.
The cold moon will officially turn full on Thursday, December 4, 2025, marking one of the most noticeable lunar moments of the season.
When the cold moon turns full
The moon reaches full phase at 8:20 am EST on Thursday, Dec. 4. This exact moment will not be visible across much of North America due to daylight, but the moon will appear full on the nights before and after.
The best time to watch will be Friday, December 5, when the nearly full moon rises shortly after sunset and creates a bright glow above the eastern horizon.
Why this full moon is a supermoon
The December full moon is classified as a supermoon because it appears near the moon’s perigee, the point where the moon is closest to Earth. A supermoon generally looks about 10% larger and brighter than an average full moon.
The moon’s usual distance from Earth is 238,900 miles (384,472 km). On December 4, it will be only 221,965 miles (357,218 km) away. This makes it the second-closest full moon of 2025, adding to its brightness and size.
The full moon will reach complete illumination just 12 hours after perigee, making this supermoon especially striking.
Highest full moon of 2025
This cold moon will also be the highest full moon in the Northern Hemisphere sky in 2025. Because a full moon rises opposite the sun, its position is affected by the sun’s seasonal path. With the winter solstice arriving on December 21, the sun is at its lowest point in the sky. As a result, the full moon rises to its highest point.
This gives the December cold moon an unusually high arc through the night.
Best time and place to watch the cold supermoon rise
The most beautiful view will come at moonrise during dusk on Friday, December 5. The moon will rise about 25 minutes after sunset, giving it a bold, oversized look as it climbs above the horizon.
The best place to watch the cold supermoon is an open field, a hilltop, or an east-facing coastline with a clear view. A moonrise calculator can help find exact times. Sample moonrise times include:
– New York: Sunset 4:29 pm EST; moonrise 4:56 pm EST
– Los Angeles: Sunset 4:43 pm PST; moonrise 5:27 pm PST
Why the moon looks bigger at the horizon
Many stargazers notice the moon looking much larger when it first rises. This is due to the moon illusion, a visual effect created by the human brain. When the moon is low on the horizon and surrounded by trees, buildings or mountains, it appears bigger even though its physical size does not change.
Scientists, including NASA researchers, say the exact reason behind this illusion is still not fully understood.
A look at the full moons of 2025
The cold moon is the 12th and final full moon of 2025. While a solar year lasts 365.24 days, a lunar year totals about 354.37 days, which sometimes leads to 13 full moons in one year. This last occurred in 2023 and will happen again in 2028.
The year 2025 included three supermoons and two total lunar eclipses, creating blood moons in March and September.
What comes after the cold supermoon
The next full moon after the cold moon will be the wolf moon on Saturday, January 3, 2026. It will be the first full moon of winter and the fourth supermoon in a row, closing the series that began in late 2025.
