The final full supermoon of the year, popularly known as the Cold Moon, lit up skies across the United States on December 4 local time (early December 5 IST), offering skywatchers a brilliant close to 2025’s lunar lineup. Peak illumination occurred around 6:14-6:15 pm EST (about 4:44-4:45 am IST, December 5), according to the U.S. Naval Observatory.
For viewers in India, the event unfolded before dawn on Friday, while across the US, the luminous moon dominated the night sky from late December 4 into the early hours of December 5.
Finale to 2025’s supermoons
This Cold Moon was the third and final supermoon of 2025, orbiting roughly 221,965 miles from Earth at perigee. Because of this slightly closer approach, it appeared marginally larger and up to 30% brighter than the year’s faintest full moon, the Old Farmer’s Almanac noted.
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The moon appeared nearly full on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and is expected to remain bright into Friday night (India: December 4 evening to December 6 morning). Clear, crisp late-autumn weather in many parts of the U.S. enhanced the viewing experience.
{{/usCountry}}The moon appeared nearly full on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and is expected to remain bright into Friday night (India: December 4 evening to December 6 morning). Clear, crisp late-autumn weather in many parts of the U.S. enhanced the viewing experience.
{{/usCountry}}An optical effect known as the “moon illusion” made the rising moon appear even bigger as it hovered low on the horizon: a phenomenon especially striking during supermoons and a popular event for photography.
Typical moonrise times included:
- New York: 4:56 pm EST (3:26 am IST, Dec. 5)
- Los Angeles: 5:27 pm PST (2:57 am IST, Dec. 5)
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The U.S. Naval Observatory told ABC News that the moon reached its highest, brightest point around midnight local time in the Northern Hemisphere (about 9:30 am IST, Dec. 5).
What makes a moon “super”?
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit. NASA notes that such moons can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual. While different publications use varying thresholds to define a supermoon, astronomers agree that a supermoon looks bigger and brighter because the moon is at its closest point to Earth during its full phase.
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This year’s Cold Moon ranked among the highest and most prominent full moons of the season due to its timing near the winter solstice.
Why December’s full moon is called Cold Moon too
The name “Cold Moon” comes from the Mohawk people, who associated it with the onset of harsh winter cold, USA Today reported. The Mohicans referred to it as the “Long Night Moon,” a nod to December’s lengthening nights across North America.
A full moon occurs roughly every 29 days, which sometimes leads to two full moons in a calendar month, an event known as a blue moon.
For those who missed this phenomenon, three new supermoons are expected in 2026!