It’s hard to believe 2024 is almost over. With just a couple of weeks left, people are trying to pack in as much as they can. Whether it’s shopping, dining, family time, or just reading a good book, there’s plenty of time left for fun. But it’s not just us who want to get in our lasts for the year. Mother Nature also has a few tricks left up her sleeve. One of the most exciting is the final full moon of the year. The December Full Moon will be the last of its kind for nearly two decades.
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The December Full Moon Is Named For The Typically Frigid Temps This Time Of Year
According to space.com, this month’s full moon, known as the “Cold Moon,” derived its name from the long, cold nights in the northern hemisphere. The Cold Moon peaked at 4:02 AM ET Sunday but will remain visible to Earth for three days, according to CNN. Photographer Ruis Santos captured incredible images of the Cold Moon from Leiria, Portugal, and shared them with space.com. He wrote in an email,
“I’ve been having a blast lately trying to photograph Earth’s atmosphere surrounding the moon as mystic landscapes,” he said.
“This is as real as it gets. 3 Pictures with different exposures to capture the scene as is. In this session, I kept trying to figure out the best moment, and as the moon was getting out of those clouds in the lower side, its light started to sneak out the top layer and yellow light started to look like smoke through the thinner parts,” Ruis added.
Be sure to look up at December’s final full moon because you won’t see one like it for many years. The next Cold Moon will occur in 2043. Thankfully, you don’t need anything special to view the Cold Moon. Just look up and enjoy.
This story’s featured image can be found here.
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