In 2015, with glad Christmas tidings come with the full moon.
This year, December's moon reaches peak size on Christmas Day, at 6:11 a.m. EST,
according to Fred Espenak, an eclipse and moon expert with NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center. It marks the first full moon on Christmas
Day since 1977; two events won't align again until 2034. (Of course, a
full moon will fall on Dec. 25 just as often as it will any other day of
the year, The Independent notes.)
The
timing of this year's Christmas orb means the fullest nighttime moon
might be best viewed on Christmas Eve throughout the U.S. The U.K. will
see the moon at its peak on Christmas evening.
This year, the Yuletide full moon falls three days after the winter solstice, which occurs on Dec. 22 at 4:48 UTC, or 11:48 p.m. EST.
Each
year, December's full moon — the last of the year — gets the nickname
the Full Long Night's Moon or the Full Cold Moon, in honor of the
month's dark, cold nights, according to the Farmer's Almanac. It can
also be called the Moon Before Yule, Space.com notes.
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Each full moon throughout the year has its own moniker,
typically dating back to Native American tribes, according to
Space.com. These traditional names were later applied to the month in
which the moons occur.
The
name Full Long Night is particularly apt because of the moon's position
in the sky relative to Earth and the sun, the website continued: In the
Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice marks the time in which the
sun appears lowest in the sky. Because the moon is diametrically
opposite to the sun this time of year, the December full moon has a long
arc and a high trajectory across the sky.
Full
moons and lore often go hand in hand; whether this year's lunar
calendar spells good luck or bad for Santa and his reindeer remains to
be seen.
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