The Cold Moon in 2026: date, time and why it has that name
December's full Moon, the Cold Moon, is full on . It is usually among the highest full Moons of the year in the north.
It is also a supermoon: 356,729 km from Earth when full, inside the 361,400 km line.
Next three
The next three Cold Moon dates
- 356,729 kmSupermoon
- 368,131 km
- 389,137 km
The Cold Moon is the first full Moon of December by UTC date. In a time zone far ahead of or behind UTC, the date you see for it can fall in the next or previous month.
The name
Why it is called the Cold Moon
Cold Moon is December's name in American almanacs, and the reason is on the thermometer: winter takes hold, the nights are the longest of the year and the cold bites. Of the twelve names, it is the one that needs the least explaining.
Long Night Moon is the other well-known name, since this full Moon sits close to the solstice, and some lists print Moon Before Yule. The Anglo-Saxon month list calls December Before Yule, and the modern revival list also uses the name Cold Moon.
- Usually in
- December
- Next full
- Distance then
- 356,729 km
- Supermoon then
- Yes
- Next three
- Dec 24, 2026 · Dec 13, 2027 · Dec 2, 2028
In the sky
How the Cold Moon looks
The Cold Moon runs high for northern viewers, because the Sun is at its lowest: about 73 degrees up at 40 degrees north, rising north-east and staying in the sky for nearly 15 hours. A Moon that high shows no orange, only bright white; the amber belongs to the minutes just after rising, and the swollen look then is an illusion, with the width the same half degree.
Cold, clear nights are the time for halos: high, thin cloud made of ice crystals can ring the Moon with a pale circle about 22 degrees wide.
December is midsummer in the Southern Hemisphere, so the Cold Moon is a warm night's Moon, and it takes a low path across the northern sky, about 32 degrees up at 35 degrees south, the way a June Moon does in the north.
- Northern Hemisphere
- The Moon rises in the east near sunset
- Southern Hemisphere
- The same Moon, markings turned upside down
- Colour
- Gold near the horizon, white once it climbs
- Rises
- Around sunset
- Sets
- Around sunrise
Questions people ask
Quick answers
When is the next Cold Moon?
December 24, 2026 (UTC). The cards above show the next three, in your time zone.
Why is it called the Cold Moon?
Cold Moon is December's name in American almanacs, and the reason is on the thermometer: winter takes hold, the nights are the longest of the year and the cold bites. Of the twelve names, it is the one that needs the least explaining.
Is the Cold Moon a supermoon?
The next one is: the Moon is 356,729 km away, closer than 361,400 km.
Does the Cold Moon change colour?
The Moon only looks gold or orange when it is low and its light crosses a lot of air. Higher up it looks white.
Is this name the same everywhere?
No. These are the US almanac names. Other regions and traditions name the same full Moons differently, and the names are not one single tradition.