Cold Moon December 2025: How to watch this year's final supermoon; dates, timing and more

The last full moon of 2025 arrives tonight as people look to the sky for the year’s final supermoon. The Cold Moon December 2025 will rise on Wednesday (3 December). Then, it will reach its brightest point on Thursday (4 December) at 6:14 p.m. ET.

It will look full through Friday (6 December), which gives viewers three clear chances to enjoy it. This supermoon moves slightly closer to Earth than other full moons this year, at about 221,965 miles. So, it appears larger and brighter than usual.

The Cold Moon of December 2025 will rise low on the horizon. It will create the classic supermoon effect that many people love.

December’s moon is called the Cold Moon because this month typically brings harsh winter conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. Some cultures also know it as the Long Night Moon or Drift Clearing Moon.

It often appears near the winter solstice, which marks the longest night of the year, adding to its seasonal significance.

This Cold Moon of December 2025 is the third and final supermoon of the year. It appears bigger and brighter because it rises close to the moon’s perigee. It aligns with the start of the Geminid meteor shower, one of the most active sky events of the year.

The shower begins on 4 December and continues until 17 December. It will peak on the night of 13-14 December. The meteors seem to shoot out from the constellation Gemini near the star Castor.

Under perfect dark skies, viewers may see as many as 120 meteors every hour. Activity usually starts around 9 p.m. and grows steadily until 2 a.m. Then, it continues through the early morning.

Most meteor showers come from comets. But, the Geminids are created by dust and rock from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The asteroid travels close to the Sun and then swings past Mars before crossing Earth’s path in mid-December.

Cold Moon December 2025: How to watch

Viewers can watch the Cold Moon of December 2025 from sunset to dawn. The sight looks largest near the horizon, so open spaces far from bright city lights give clearer views.

It sits near Jupiter and Orion while forming a triangle with the Pleiades and Aldebaran. Simple binoculars can offer sharper detail.

Free livestreams are available from the Virtual Telescope Project on 4 December and from Griffith Observatory on 5 December. Cloud cover may affect visibility in some regions. Check local weather for further clarity.