Why this year's December full moon is so special

Astronomy fans are in for a treat, as it's nearly time for December's full moon.

It will appear in our skies later this week, and what's more, it's set to be the third and final supermoon of 2025.

'Supermoon' is the name given to the Moon when it's both full and at – or near – the closest point to Earth in its orbit.

But why is December's full moon called the Cold Moon, and when will it happen?

Keep reading to find out.

The full moon has many different names throughout the year.

We normally have 12 full moons a year, each with its own informal nickname.

December's full moon is also called the Cold Moon, as it occurs at a dark and cold time of year when winter temperatures begin to drop in the northern hemisphere.

According to the Royal Greenwich Observatory, this year's Cold Moon will take place on Thursday 4 December at 11.14pm.

The Moon will appear full for approximately three days around this time.

December's full moon will also be the last of three back-to-back supermoons in 2025.

A supermoon is when the Moon appears bigger than usual.

This occurs because the Moon's orbit around Earth isn't a perfect circle: it's an elliptical or egg-shaped orbit.

So sometimes the Moon is closer to Earth, and sometimes it is further away.

The Moon doesn't change size, it just looks bigger when it is closer.

Throughout history, people have used the Moon and the light it reflects for different tasks such as hunting, planting and harvesting.

Cultures across the world gave these full moons different names to describe what was happening in the month.

The modern calendar no longer follows the Moon's phases exactly, so sometimes there's more than one full moon a month, which is known as a Blue Moon.

Why not use our Moon calendar below to find the name for your birth month's full moon?

January: Wolf Moon

Native Americans and Medieval Europeans called January's full moon a Wolf Moon, it's thought to be because wolves howled more at this time of year as there was less food.

February: Snow Moon

The snowy weather of February in North America led to the name Snow Moon. Other common names include Storm Moon and Hunger Moon.

March: Worm Moon

The Worm Moon appears in March at the end of winter when little creatures like worms begin squirming out of the ground. It's also called Milk Moon.

April: Pink Moon

Disappointingly, the Pink Moon isn't actually pink. It's named by native Americans after pink flowers called wild ground phlox that bloom in early spring and appear throughout the United States and Canada.

It is also called Egg Moon and Fish Moon in other cultures.

May: Flower Moon

May's flowers are the reason for this month's name.

Other names include the Hare Moon, the Corn Planting Moon, and the Milk Moon.

June: Strawberry Moon

Native American Algonquin tribes named this moon the Strawberry Moon. This is because they would harvest strawberries at this time.

It's also called the Honey Moon, Rose Moon and Mead Moon.

July: Buck Moon

This is the time when a buck, a male deer, grows its full antlers. This moon is also called Thunder Moon after the summer thunder storms.

August: Sturgeon Moon

People in North America caught sturgeons, a type of fish, around this time.

It is sometimes known as a Grain Moon or Green Corn Moon or Black Cherries Moon in some cultures.

September: Corn Moon

If it is the nearest full moon to the autumnal equinox it is called the Harvest Moon instead.

September's full moon is probably called Corn Moon because that's when crops are gathered at the end of the summer season.

At this time, the Moon appears particularly bright allowing farmers to continue harvesting into the night.

October: Hunter's Moon

This is the time when people would plan for the winter months and hunt animals for food.

Like September's full moon it is sometimes called the Harvest Moon.

November: Beaver Moon

Beavers often start building their dams about this time which is where it got its name.

It is also sometimes called Frost Moon.

December: Cold Moon

The winter chill gave December's full moon the name Cold Moon.

Other names include the Long Night Moon and the Oak Moon.