In 2015, with glad Christmas tidings come with the full
moon.
This year, December's moon reaches peak size on Christmas
Day, at 6:11 a.m. EST, according to Fred Espenak, an eclipse and moon expert
with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. It marks the first full moon on
Christmas Day since 1977; two events won't align again until 2034. (Of course,
a full moon will fall on Dec. 25 just as often as it will any other day of the
year, The Independent notes.)
The timing of this year's Christmas orb means the fullest
nighttime moon might be best viewed on Christmas Eve throughout the U.S. The
U.K. will see the moon at its peak on Christmas evening.
This year, the Yuletide full moon falls three days after the
winter solstice, which occurs on Dec. 22 at 4:48 UTC, or 11:48 p.m. EST.
Each year, December's full moon — the last of the year —
gets the nickname the Full Long Night's Moon or the Full Cold Moon, in honor of
the month's dark, cold nights, according to the Farmer's Almanac. It can also
be called the Moon Before Yule, Space.com notes.
Each full moon throughout the year has its own moniker,
typically dating back to Native American tribes, according to Space.com. These
traditional names were later applied to the month in which the moons occur.
The name Full Long Night is particularly apt because of the
moon's position in the sky relative to Earth and the sun, the website
continued: In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice marks the time in
which the sun appears lowest in the sky. Because the moon is diametrically
opposite to the sun this time of year, the December full moon has a long arc
and a high trajectory across the sky.
Full moons and lore often go hand in hand; whether this
year's lunar calendar spells good luck or bad for Santa and his reindeer remains
to be seen.
Source :
weather