TEMPLE, Texas — The final full moon of 2023 will illuminate the sky on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
According to Space.com and In-The-Sky.org, this full moon, known as the "Cold Moon", will be visible for the entire night until it sets on the morning of Dec. 27.
The Cold Moon will lead up to the first new moon of 2024 on Jan. 11, according to Space.com, marking the first lunar cycle of the new year.
The December full moon is known by a few different names, but it is primarily referred to as the "Cold Moon". According to the Farmer's Almanac, the Cold Moon name came from the Mohawk people and is named for the frigid conditions of winter when the moon is visible.
The Cold Moon has multiple different names in different Indigenous cultures, according to the Farmer's Almanac, including the Winter Maker Moon in Western Abenaki tradition, the Snow Moon in Haida and Cherokee tradition and the Long Night Moon in Mohican tradition, due to the moon being full near the winter solstice, during the longest nights of the year.
According to Space.com, the next full moon, also known as the Wolf Moon, is expected to rise on Jan. 25, 2024, and will be the first full moon of the new year.
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