Magical moon: The last full moon of 2022 has a little something special

The very last full moon for the year takes place tonight, 7 December, and it’s no ordinary full moon! Here’s what sky-watchers can expect…

By: Corné van Zyl

The last full moon of 2022 will be on showcase TONIGHT and has a trick up its sleeve for stargazers. 

THE LAST FULL MOON OF THE YEAR IS HERE

In the Northern Hemisphere, the December full moon is known as the Cold Moon — an homage to the time of year in which it falls.

This moon’s other nicknames are equally evocative of the season: According to the Farmer’s Almanac, it has been called many names by ancient and modern cultures, including Moon before Yule, a name given to this moon by ancient Europeans for its proximity to the pagan Yuletide festival, and the Long Night Moon, a Mohican name for the way this moon rises during the longest nights of the year.

ALSO READ: ‘Largest Supermoon of the year’ in SA tonight

HOW TO SEE THE DECEMBER 2022 FULL MOON:

This spectacle will be on full showcase Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 11:09 P.M. EST. This means in South Africa – you will be able to see it in all its glory at 02:00 on Thursday. 

If you’re busy or clouded out, you can also see a nearly Full Moon on December 6 or December 8. There won’t be very much difference and you can still use your eyes, binoculars, or a small telescope to look at the shapes on the surface.

WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE?

December’s moon won’t give quite enough time for another 27 days to come around in the Gregorian Calendar year of 2022 that most global regions follow. So this 12th one will be the last one of the year. Next year, however, we’ll be able to squeeze in 13!

The next one will be at its brightest at 6:09 p.m. Eastern on Friday, January 6, 2023. January’s moon is called the Wolf Moon.