Head's up, skywatchers! The full moon will be observed in the skies on Dec.12, Thursday. The moon will be officially full by 12:13 AM EST and passing through the constellation Taurus. The full moon will be joined by the planets Venus and Saturn that will be observed in conjunction starting Dec. 11.
Officially, the moon will start to rise around 4:18 in the afternoon and will be visible ten minutes later as the sun begins to set. The planets Venus and Saturn will be visible on the west side only a few degrees apart from each other.
WHAT IS THE COLD MOON?
The full moon is a lunar phase where it is most visible and illuminated fully from the perspective of the Earth. This happens particularly when our planet is situated right in the middle of the Sun and the Moon and is addressed by different names depending on the month it occurs. For instance, this month's full moon is dubbed as the Cold Moon and the Long Night Moon. According to the Farmer's Almanac, it's correct name is the Full Cold Moon.
Native Americans dubbed the December full moon as the Cold Moon and the Long Night Moon because December is the coldest month of the year, and it is when the December full moon occurs near the solstice when the longer nights, shorter days occur. Although the most used names for the December full moon is derived from Native Americans, other tribes have their own specific name for this astronomical event. For instance, according to the Ontario Native Literacy, the Ojibwe addressed the December full moon as the mnidoons giizis or the "big spirit moon"
The Cold Moon will arrive shortly after midnight and will be joined by the planet Venus and Saturn, which will be having their conjunction. Aside from the planets, a group of constellations will present in the night sky as well during the Cold Moon. The Cold Moon will be the centerpiece in this sky show with the constellations Auriga, the charioteer, and Hyades appear on its left and right, respectively.
Other constellations such as Orion the Hunter with its three very distinct stars are also visible along with Gemini with its brightest stars Castor and Pollux shining brightly.
VENUS-SATURN CONJUNCTION
Along with the Full Cold Moon, skywatchers will be able to experience seeing the planets Venus and Saturn only a few degrees from each other. The Venus-Saturn conjunction can be observed by 6:41 PM and will be around the skies until 8:02 PM. It will be unmistakeable since Venus is a very bright planet, although assistance from telescopes may be needed in viewing Saturn. This is the second time that the planets Venus and Saturn meet each other in the night sky. Last January, the Venus-Saturn conjunction was visible before sunrise.
The planets Venus and Saturn will appear farther from each other as the planet experience the Full Cold Moon this Thursday. However, stargazers will be able to marvel at the illusion of closeness of the Venus-Saturn conjunction starting Tuesday.
