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Thursday, December 24, 2026 · 242 days away
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Supermoon — December 24, 2026 (Cold Moon)
Event overview
Christmas Eve Cold Moon — the closest full moon of 2026 at roughly 221,667 miles from Earth and the largest supermoon of the year.
The clock counts down to the closest supermoon of 2026 — the Christmas Eve Cold Moon on Thursday, December 24, 2026. The Moon reaches full phase at near-minimum distance from Earth (about 357,000 km, or 221,667 miles), making this the largest and brightest full moon of the year.
The December full moon is the third and closest of 2026's perigee full moons. Because the Moon's full phase coincides with perigee almost exactly, this supermoon appears roughly 14% larger and 30% brighter than the most distant full moon of the year (the apogee full moon, also known as a "micromoon"). The Moon will be at the closest perigee of any 2026 full moon, making the December 24 supermoon the headline lunar event of the year.
The "Cold Moon" name comes from Algonquin tradition for the long, cold December nights. Other Native American traditions call it the Long Nights Moon (because it traces the longest arc above the horizon of any full moon of the year, mirroring the December solstice's longest night) and the Moon Before Yule. In Pagan and Wiccan traditions it is associated with the Yule sabbat.
The December 24 timing is notable because the Christmas Eve full moon is rare — the last Christmas Eve full moon was December 24, 2015, and before that 1996. The next will be in 2034. The combination of "supermoon" + "Christmas Eve" + "closest of the year" makes this one of the most-photographed lunar events of the decade.
The 2026 December supermoon reaches full phase on December 24, with the Moon visible all night from rise to set. The Northern Hemisphere December full moon traces the highest arc of any full moon of the year — even higher than the November Beaver Moon — because the Sun is at its lowest declination at the December solstice, and the full moon is exactly opposite. From a 50°N observing site (London, Vancouver, Frankfurt) the Moon climbs above 60° altitude at culmination, dramatically higher than any summer full moon.
Optimal viewing is the moonrise on the evening of December 24 — when the Moon, near the horizon, appears largest thanks to the Moon illusion — and the late-evening hours when the Moon is high in the south at its brightest. The lunar maria and the brightest impact rays from Tycho and Copernicus are easy with binoculars.
NASA's Daily Moon Guide, EarthSky and Sky & Telescope publish exact moonrise/set times for thousands of cities. Stellarium and SkySafari give precise local timings. The Virtual Telescope Project streams the supermoon over Rome; major observatories host Cold Moon evenings. No equipment is needed — the Cold Moon supermoon is best enjoyed naked-eye, ideally with binoculars for the lunar maria.
The December supermoon caps a 2026 trio: pair with Supermoon January 2026 and Supermoon November 2026. The Geminid meteor shower 2026 and December solstice 2026 sit in the same week. See also Christmas 2026.
When is the December 2026 supermoon? Thursday, December 24, 2026, with the Moon visible all night and reaching full phase at perigee. Why is it called the Cold Moon? Algonquin tradition named December's full moon for the long, cold nights of midwinter. How close is the Moon at this supermoon? About 357,000 km (221,667 miles) — the closest full moon of 2026 and one of the closest of the decade. Is the December full moon special on Christmas Eve? Yes — the last Christmas Eve full moon was 2015, and the next will be 2034.
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