2024’s ‘Cold Moon’, will be the last full moon of the year, marking the start of winter and the end of the celestial calendar. This cosmic event will occur at 4:01 Eastern US time on Sunday, December 15, and will best be seen rising in the east, later in the day, at sunset and moonrise.
The 2024 cold moon will also be surrounded by the Taurus constellation, surrounded by some of the night sky’s brightest stars and Jupiter.
Why is it called the Cold Moon?
The Cold Moon is named so because it rises a week before the December solstice, the longest night of the year in the planet’s Northern Hemisphere. This moon signals the start of astronomical winter.
It is also worth mentioning that the name ‘Cold Moon’ comes from Mohawk culture, a Native American Iroquois tribe. Other native American cultures also named this moon the Drift Clearing Moon, Snow Moon, and Winter Maker Moon.
However, the “Cold Moon” is not the only name this specific moon has. Indeed, the moon that signals the start of astronomical winter, is also known as the Long Nights Moon, and the Moon Before Yule, a Pagan festival that coincides with the solstice.
Interestingly, since the moon is opposite the sun, the moon mirrors the sun’s movements. This means that when the sun is at its lowest point in the daytime southern sky, the cold moon will be at its highest.
Jupiter will be visible in the night sky during the entire month of December
On the night of the 2024 Cold Moon, the moon will be positioned just below Capella, in the Auriga constellation, above Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation. Jupiter will be to the moon’s right, and the largest planet in the solar system will be visible in the night sky throughout December.
This is because Jupiter’s position relative to Earth and the Sun allows it to be visible in our night sky. Jupiter reached opposition during December, meaning it is on the opposite side of Earth from the sun. Jupiter’s alignment places it close to Earth, making it brighter for us.
Opposition is a process that has to do with orbits and is constantly changing. This means that Jupiter remains visible for weeks during the month, as it moves away from the direct line between the Earth and Sun.
It is also worth mentioning that Jupiter is one of the brightest objects in the night sky, and is only outshone by the Moon and Venus.
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