Berlin: The last supermoon of 2025, known as the Cold Moon, will rise on December 4 as the Geminid meteor showers begin. This celestial event promises to offer a spectacular night sky view, with more astronomical activities expected early in the New Year.
According to Deutsche Welle, supermoons occur when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth, known as perigee. This phenomenon makes the moon appear up to 10% larger and significantly brighter than usual. On December 4, 2025, the moon will be approximately 17,000 miles (27,300 kilometers) closer to Earth. The Cold Moon heralds the onset of colder, darker months.
If the skies are clear, viewers can expect a moon illusion, where the moon appears larger than usual as it rises over the horizon. This optical illusion results from the way humans perceive objects at the horizon, making them seem larger. Additionally, a yellow tint might be visible as the moon rises, due to the scattering of short, blue wavelengths of light, leaving predominantly red wavelengths.
The naming of full moons often relates to the time of year they occur, with the Cold Moon marking December. Other names include January’s Wolf Moon, February’s Snow Moon, and March’s Worm Moon, among others.
Looking ahead to 2026, three supermoons are expected, with the first occurring on January 3. The Geminid meteor showers, peaking on December 14, 2025, will offer up to 120 meteors per hour. Meanwhile, the Ursids will shower between December 17-26, 2025, with about a dozen meteors visible each hour.
Royal Museums Greenwich highlights a busy year for skywatchers in 2026, with meteor showers such as the Quadrantids, Lyrids, and Eta Aquariids. Additionally, two solar eclipses will occur: an annular eclipse on February 17, visible mainly in Antarctica, and a total eclipse on August 12, visible in Spain, Iceland, Greenland, and northern Russia.