December Full Moon 2025: Cold Moon Supermoon Peaks Tonight – Times, Pleiades Occultation, Astrology & Viewing Guide

On Thursday, 4 December 2025, the final full Moon of the year lights up the sky — and it’s a big one. December’s full Moon, traditionally called the Cold Moon, will also be a supermoon, reaching peak brightness at 23:14 UTC (6:14 p.m. Eastern Time, 11:14 p.m. in the UK). ^[1]

It’s not just another pretty Moon. Astronomers note that this Cold Moon is:

The last full Moon of 2025
The last supermoon of the year (and part of a four‑supermoon streak that continues into January 2026) ^[2]
The highest full Moon in the Northern Hemisphere sky until 2042, thanks to a phenomenon called a major lunar standstill ^[3]

On top of that, many skywatchers spent last night watching the Moon glide past — and in some regions directly in front of — the famous Pleiades star cluster, a rare lunar occultation that sets the stage for tonight’s main event. ^[4]

Below is everything you need to know about the December full Moon 2025, rounded up from today’s news and astronomy sources and packaged for Google News and Discover readers.

When is the December 2025 full Moon?

Astronomers pin the exact moment of full phase at 23:14 UTC on Thursday, 4 December 2025. ^[5]

Here’s what that means in key time zones:

Eastern Time (US & Canada): 6:14 p.m. EST
Central Time (US): 5:14 p.m. CST — highlighted in local coverage from Texas newspapers ^[6]
Pacific Time (US & Canada): 3:14 p.m. PST (the Moon will already be above the eastern horizon for most viewers)
UK (GMT): 11:14 p.m.
Central Europe: 00:14 a.m. on 5 December (CET)
India: 4:44 a.m. on 5 December (IST) ^[7]

Although that instant is precise, the Moon will appear full for about a day on either side, looking nearly round from 3–5 December. ^[8]

For exact moonrise and moonset times at your location, astronomers recommend using tools like timeanddate.com’s Moon calculator or dedicated sky‑mapping apps. ^[9]

Why this Cold Moon is a supermoon — and why it’s so unusual

What makes it a supermoon?

A supermoon happens when a full Moon coincides with the Moon being near perigee, its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit. ^[10]

For this December full Moon:

The Earth–Moon distance is about 357,000–357,218 km (≈221,966 miles), closer than average. ^[11]
The Moon will appear roughly 7–8% larger than a typical full Moon and around 15–16% brighter; compared to a distant “micromoon,” NASA notes supermoons can look up to 14% larger and 30% brighter. ^[12]

Most people won’t notice a huge size change by eye, but the extra brightness is apparent, especially when the Moon is high in a clear, dark sky.

The “most extreme” full Moon until 2042

Astronomy platforms like Star Walk describe this Cold Moon as the most “extreme” full Moon until 2042. The reason isn’t drama — it’s geometry. ^[13]

We’re near the end of a major lunar standstill, part of the Moon’s 18.6‑year cycle. At these times, the Moon’s path swings more dramatically north–south in the sky:

In 2025, the December full Moon reaches a very high declination of about +28°, making it the highest full Moon visible from the Northern Hemisphere until 2042. ^[14]
Timeanddate’s data show, for example, that the Moon climbs to about 75.7° above the horizon in Chicago, while only reaching around 24.9° in Melbourne on the same night — high in the north, low in the south. ^[15]

So if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, expect the Cold Moon to ride high and stay up long, acting almost like a “winter Sun in reverse.” In the Southern Hemisphere, it hugs the horizon, glowing golden or orange as its light passes through more of Earth’s atmosphere. ^[16]

How today’s news is talking about the December full Moon 2025

As of 4 December 2025, coverage of the Cold Moon is everywhere:

Wired calls it the last supermoon of the year, stressing that it will be 100% illuminated just 12 hours after perigee and recommending moonrise viewing on 4 December for maximum “Moon illusion” drama. ^[17]
The Washington Post dubs it the final in a trio of year‑ending supermoons, noting that it becomes fully illuminated at 6:14 p.m. Eastern and will rise into the highest full‑Moon path of 2025. The article also includes a detailed U.S. cloud‑cover forecast for tonight. ^[18]
Geo News frames the event as a two‑night spectacle, arguing that last night (3 December) offered the best show as the nearly full Moon brushed past and occulted the Pleiades star cluster, with the supermoon peak following tonight. ^[19]
Star Walk highlights this as the last supermoon of 2025 and the highest full Moon until 2042, explaining the link to the major lunar standstill and offering global visibility tips. ^[20]
Education and current‑affairs site Jagran Josh packages it as “Cold Moon 2025: How to Watch the December Supermoon & Pleiades Lunar Occultation,” providing detailed viewing tables for the U.S. and India. ^[21]
Lifestyle and astrology outlets — from Cosmopolitan to The Economic Times — are running full‑Moon in Gemini horoscopes, focusing on themes of communication, closure, and mental clarity. ^[22]
Regional outlets, such as Scottish tabloids and local U.S. newspapers, emphasise how unusually big, bright and high tonight’s Moon will appear in their skies, and that it’s the last supermoon before the Wolf Moon of 3 January 2026. ^[23]

In short: globally, today’s headlines agree that this is not a routine full Moon.

Where and when to watch the December Cold Moon

General strategy

Across most of the world, your best bet is:

Check local moonrise time for 4 December.
Head out around moonrise and again around local midnight for different perspectives.
Choose a spot with a clear view of the eastern horizon (for moonrise) or a wide open southern/northern sky depending on your hemisphere.

Astronomers emphasise that the Moon will look full and bright the entire night of 4–5 December, even though the exact “full” instant is just one moment. ^[24]

North America

The Moon rises shortly before sunset across much of the U.S., giving that classic “giant Moon on the horizon” effect during twilight. In Washington, D.C., for instance, moonrise is around 4:13 p.m. with sunset about 30 minutes later; Los Angeles sees a similar pairing. ^[25]
The supermoon peaks at 6:14 p.m. EST, but you’ll have good views from dusk until dawn. ^[26]

Tonight’s sky‑cover outlook from The Washington Post suggests:

Good chances of clear skies in the Northeast, Midwest, central Plains and parts of the interior West
More cloud‑prone conditions across the South, Southeast, Gulf Coast and parts of the Pacific Northwest ^[27]

UK & Europe

In the UK, full phase hits at 11:14 p.m. GMT, with the Cold Moon high and bright near the southern sky by late evening. ^[28]
Across central Europe, the exact moment falls just after midnight on 5 December, but visually the difference is negligible — it will look full all night.

India & South Asia

In India, peak illumination occurs at 4:44 a.m. IST on 5 December, but the Moon is already nearly full and bright when it rises on the evening of the 4th (around 5:20–5:30 p.m., depending on city). ^[29]
Jagran Josh notes that the Moon is visible from early evening on 4 December through early morning on the 5th, offering a long window for observers and photographers. ^[30]

Southern Hemisphere

From cities like Sydney, Cape Town or Buenos Aires, the full Moon still shines brilliantly, but it stays low in the northern sky and spends less time above the horizon, a mirror of how the winter Sun behaves. ^[31]

The Pleiades occultation: last night’s warm‑up act

One reason astronomers and media are so excited is the double feature: the Cold Moon plus a close encounter with the Pleiades (M45).

On 3 December, the nearly full Moon passed extremely close to — and in some regions directly in front of — the Pleiades, a young blue star cluster often called the Seven Sisters. ^[32]
In parts of North America, Europe, Northern Africa, and Western & Central Asia, observers watched the Moon occult individual Pleiades stars, as they winked out behind the lunar limb and reappeared minutes later. ^[33]
In South Asia and much of East Asia, the Moon passed very close but didn’t completely cover the cluster, appearing as a bright lantern beside a hazy knot of stars. ^[34]

Tonight, on 4 December, the full Moon has moved on but remains visibly near the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus, separated by less than a degree — though the Moon’s glare may wash out the fainter stars without binoculars. ^[35]

Cold Moon, Long Night Moon, Moon Before Yule: names and folklore

The December full Moon carries a rich collection of traditional names:

Cold Moon – widely used in modern calendars and derived from Mohawk and other Indigenous North American traditions, referring to the onset of deep winter and the “time of the cold.” ^[36]
Long Night Moon – because this full Moon falls near the winter solstice, when nights are longest in the Northern Hemisphere. ^[37]
Moon Before Yule / Christmas Moon – from Old English and colonial traditions, linking the Moon to the Yule and Christmas season. ^[38]
Oak Moon, Bitter Moon, Snow Moon – alternative Celtic, medieval English, and Cherokee names reflecting winter landscapes and symbolism. ^[39]

In the Southern Hemisphere, December is summer, so some traditional names flip seasons: terms like Strawberry Moon, Honey Moon and Rose Moon are sometimes attached to this full Moon there. ^[40]

These names are cultural, not scientific, but they’re part of why full Moons — especially picturesque ones like this Cold Moon supermoon — capture so much public imagination.

Astrology and spiritual interpretations (and what science says)

Astrology‑focused outlets are treating the December full Moon 2025 as a major emotional checkpoint:

Cosmopolitan describes it as a Full Moon in Gemini, the last supermoon of the year, emphasising themes of communication, curiosity, release and taking action instead of just planning. ^[41]
The Economic Times publishes a “Supermoon Horoscope” claiming the Super Full Moon in Gemini will nudge each zodiac sign towards introspection, boundary‑setting, healing and transition into 2026. ^[42]
Other outlets, such as the New York Post and spiritual influencers on social media, echo similar themes of mental clarity, letting go of old patterns and embracing change. ^[43]

From a scientific standpoint, however, the consensus remains that full Moons (super or not) have little measurable effect on human behaviour or mood beyond the practical effects of extra nighttime light. Timeanddate’s FAQ reiterates that research has found no strong evidence for lunar phases significantly changing human physiology or psychology. ^[44]

So if you enjoy horoscopes or rituals, see them as symbolic frameworks for reflection — not as a requirement imposed by the sky.

How big and bright will the December full Moon really look?

Numbers from astronomy sources paint a consistent picture:

Distance at full phase: ~357,218 km from Earth’s centre. ^[45]
Apparent size: about 7–8% larger than an average full Moon and roughly 15% brighter, according to modelling by Star Walk and TheSkyLive. ^[46]
Compared to a distant micromoon, NASA‑referenced figures suggest supermoons can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter. ^[47]

Still, our eyes are not great at judging Moon size without side‑by‑side comparison, which is why astronomers and writers repeatedly stress that the effect is subtle. ^[48]

What is dramatic, though, is the Moon illusion — the psychological effect that makes the Moon look enormous when it’s low near the horizon. Both Wired and The Washington Post recommend catching moonrise just after sunset to experience this illusion in combination with the supermoon’s slightly larger true size. ^[49]

Practical tips for watching and photographing the Cold Moon Supermoon

You don’t need a telescope to enjoy tonight’s full Moon. A few simple tweaks will improve your view:

For casual skywatchers

Go early: Aim for moonrise on 4 December in your local time zone. You’ll see the Moon looming near the horizon, with buildings, trees or mountains giving a sense of scale. ^[50]
Pick an open view: A hilltop, beach, rooftop or open field with an unobstructed eastern horizon is ideal.
Stay warm: Much of the Northern Hemisphere is under unseasonably cold air, particularly in the U.S. Midwest and East, so dress in layers if you plan to be outside for long. ^[51]
Look again near midnight: In northern latitudes the Moon will be very high overhead around local midnight, showcasing just how “extreme” this full Moon’s path is in 2025. ^[52]

For smartphone photographers

Use night mode if available, but tap on the Moon to reduce over‑exposure.
Try framing the Moon with city skylines, trees, or monuments to add context and avoid a tiny white dot in a black frame.
If your phone allows, lock focus and reduce exposure slightly to preserve lunar detail.

For camera users

A basic DSLR or mirrorless body with a telephoto lens (200mm+) will capture impressive detail.
Start with settings like 1/250–1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 100–400 and adjust based on your results.
Use a tripod and self‑timer to avoid shake, especially for landscape scenes with long exposures.

Why this December full Moon matters

The December Full Moon 2025 is more than a calendar footnote:

It marks the end of the 2025 lunar year and the last supermoon before January’s Wolf Moon. ^[53]
It coincides with the final stretch of a major lunar standstill, giving Northern Hemisphere observers their highest full Moon in nearly two decades, and Southern Hemisphere observers a hauntingly low, coloured Moon. ^[54]
It arrives just as other sky events — including a Moon–Jupiter conjunction and the Geminid meteor shower (13–14 December) — line up for one of the richest sky‑watching months of the year. ^[55]

Whether you follow astronomy, astrology, or simply love an excuse to step outside, tonight’s Cold Moon supermoon is a standout celestial moment of 2025.

Step out, look up, and enjoy the last big lunar show of the year.