Yahoo Movies Cold Moon 2022: How to see December's full Moon in the UK
December's spectacular full moon, known as the Cold Moon, will shine brightly on Wednesday 7th December 2022. It's the final full moon of the year, so be sure not to miss it.
December's full Cold Moon will be visible on the evening of 7th December, and will reach peak illumination at 23:09.
Why is December's full moon called the Cold Moon?
December's Cold Moon gets its name from the drop in temperature during the winter months. The moon has also been known by some Europeans as the "Moon Before Yule," as a festive reference to the beginning of the Christmas.
"This full moon is particularly special, as in the evening hours of Wednesday 7th December, the moon will appear in close proximity to Mars," the experts at Parkdean Resorts tell us.
"The moon will turn full at 23:08, followed by Mars arriving in opposition to the sun shortly after, resulting in an almost perfect alignment of the sun, Earth, moon and Mars. If you see a bright orange-yellow light in the sky, it may in fact be Mars."
How can we see December's full moon?
December's full moon is set to be spectacular. According to Parkdean Resorts, the further up you are, the better your chance of a clear sky to see the stars. If you can, take a hike in your local area to find the best stargazing spot. The further you are away from light pollution the better chance you'll have of seeing the stars. Moons always rise in the east and set in the west - so follow this direction in your search.
When will the next full moon be?
The next full moon, the Wolf Moon, will be seen in the sky in late January 2023. January's full moon has been known as a Wolf Moon for thousands of years.
Ancient civilisations tracked the changing seasons by the lunar months rather than the solar calendar, naming the months after features they associated with the northern hemisphere seasons including howling wolves. These names are now used to identify the full moons.
How many full moons do we have a year?
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days. Most years will see one full moon per month – 12 full moons a year in total. Some years, however, have 13 full moons mean two occur in the same month. This is how a Blue Moon occurs – it's the second full moon in the same month. In 2020, there was a Blue Moon in October.
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