The longest full moon of the year will illuminate the skies this week
In December, we get entranced by all kinds of twinkling lights, but there’s one in the sky that will be even more magical than the most extra holiday light display.
The upcoming full moon on Wednesday, December 7, will be the longest of the year.
According to the Old Farmers’ Almanac, the moon will start to peek above the horizon just before sunset and will reach peak illumination at 11:09 pm ET.
4K Footage of the Full Cold Moon from last year. Next Full Cold Moon is occurring next Wednesday, December 7th 2022 pic.twitter.com/YiOBU8pX9a
— Rami Ammoun (@rami_astro) December 2, 2022
“December’s full Moon has a high trajectory in the sky, which means that it will be above the horizon for longer than most full Moons,” said Farmers’ Almanac, so you have a good chance of catching a glimpse of this event – weather permitting.
And there’s something extra special about this full moon – it will eclipse Mars.
#Moon Eclipses #Mars! This Wednesday night!
Cross your fingers for clear skies!#Lunar #Occultation pic.twitter.com/VxH4kskH1W
— MPM Planetarium Dept (@MPMPlanetarium) December 5, 2022
Per Scientific American, the occultation of Mars is visible with the naked eye, and you’ll be able to see it from Canada. After sunset, the moon and Mars will appear close in the sky, and they’ll move closer and closer together.
“It takes about 30 to 45 seconds for the moon to cover Mars entirely, like slowly drawing a curtain across a window. By eye, the two will seem to kiss, and then Mars will fade from view in less than a minute,” said Scientific American.
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Each full moon of the year has a cultural name tied to it, often stemming from Indigenous and/or traditional knowledge.
December’s full moon is called the Cold Moon, and it’s from the Mohawk people. Its name “conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year, when cold weather truly begins to grip us,” says Farmers’ Almanac.
Will you be watching the skies for this lunar event?