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This month - tonight in fact - one of the most spectacular celestial sights you can experience with the naked eye is set to be visible in the USA - the Cold Supermoon.
This Thursday (December 4), it will be worth keeping your eyes to the skies to see if you can spot it.
NASA claims that tonight is the night if you want to see our biggest satellite in all her glory, and they tend to know what they are talking about when it comes to the moon.
So, this Thursday evening, you’d better pray for clear skies so that you can grab a peek - or a whole eyeful - of this relatively rare celestial event.
December’s full moon is known as the Cold Moon, but this time around, there is something special about it too, because it is going to be a supermoon.
According to the official stats, the moon will appear to be around 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter.
So, you’re going to notice it.
NASA also pointed out that in a few days there will be a rare conjunction between the moon and Jupiter, meaning that they will appear very close together, despite the fact that clearly they aren’t.
The agency claims that the moon will be at peak on December 4 at 6:14pm ET.
That means that the peak might occur before sunset in certain parts of the USA, but that doesn’t mean you will miss out.
In fact, there’ll be a few days where the moon looks bigger and brighter, so don’t worry too much.
Supermoons occur when the moon is full and at the closest point to earth, which is known as the perigee.
That means that the moon is not only as exposed as it ever will be, it is also significantly closer, which means that it looks significantly bigger as a result.
Following this month’s Cold Moon, we’ll have another early in January 2026, as well as others in late November 2026 and late December next year too - really close to Christmas, as it happens.
However, one serious sticking point remains.
According to the National Weather Service, quite a lot of the USA is expected to be under heavy sky coverage during the night, so spotting the supermoon might require a bit of luck.
So, if you do spot it, know that you’re not only spotting a pretty rare and beautiful sight, but you are also fortunate to be in a place where you can actually see it.
Don’t take these things for granted.
