Overview
- The Cold Moon reaches full phase on December 4 and will be widely visible to the naked eye, with peak fullness around 23:14 GMT and descriptions noting it as the most extreme full moon until 2042.
- Peak Geminids are expected December 13–14, with forecasts of up to about 150 meteors per hour under ideal dark-sky conditions and a helpful last-quarter Moon; the shower’s parent body is asteroid (3200) Phaethon.
- The Ursids should peak December 22–23 with roughly 5–10 meteors per hour in dark skies, best before dawn in the Northern Hemisphere; the shower originates from comet 8P/Tuttle.
- December’s lunar phases are full Moon on the 4th, third quarter on the 11th, new Moon on the 19th/20th, and first quarter on the 27th.
- Viewing tips from NASA and astronomy sources advise dark locations, allowing 15–30 minutes for night vision, watching with the naked eye, and noting that lunar brightness can mute faint meteors; other highlights include Mercury’s greatest western elongation on December 7 and the winter solstice on December 21.