Last night, the Cold Moon rose majestically to bid farewell to 2024, casting first its orangey, then its silvery glow throughout one of the longest nights of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
The final full moon of the year and fall was framed by the bright stars Capella in Auriga and Betelgeuse in Orion and flanked by the planet Jupiter.
It was also the most northerly moonrise and moonset at full moon until December 2043, according to Timeanddate.com. Its very rare appearance in the northern sky astounded experienced moon-gazers.
As the most northerly and highest-rising full moon of the year, the Cold Moon mirrored the sun's low arc in the daytime sky. Its lofty position meant it remained visible longer than any other full moon.
Reaching peak illumination at 4:01 a.m. EST on Sunday, Dec. 15, the Cold Moon was best viewed as it rose in the east at dusk later that day. As it appeared just above the horizon, its surface took on a warm orange hue due to light scattering through the Earth's atmosphere.
The major lunar standstill is when the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset are furthest apart. The moon has an 18.6-year cycle during which the exact places it rises and sets on the horizon waxes and wanes.
At each end of that cycle is a major lunar standstill, also called a lunistice, a rare celestial event that occurs when Earth and the moon are at their maximum tilts. That leads to the moon rising and setting at the extremes of its range. These extreme rise and set positions occur during a two-year period.
This most northerly full moonrise and moonset of the current major lunar standstill follows its southernmost moonrise and moonset, which occurred with the rising of the full Strawberry Moon on Friday, Jun. 21, 2024.
The Cold Moon, named for the frigid temperatures of December in the Northern Hemisphere, is also known as the Long Nights Moon, a nod to the extended hours of darkness this time of year.
It's also called the Moon Before Yule, which refers to ancient Pagan winter solstice celebrations. The Celts also called it the Oak Moon. Native American names for December's full moon include the Drift Clearing Moon and the Winter Maker Moon.